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Reginald Marsh
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- Died:
- July 3, 1954, Bennington, Vermont, U.S. (aged 56)
- Movement / Style:
- Social Realism
Reginald Marsh (born March 14, 1898, Paris, France—died July 3, 1954, Bennington, Vermont, U.S.) American painter and printmaker noted for his realistic depictions of New York City life.
After graduating from Yale University in 1920, Marsh worked as a freelance illustrator in New York and from 1922 to 1925 was on the staff of the New York Daily News. He was also an original member of the staff of The New Yorker magazine (founded in 1925). Marsh traveled to Europe intermittently between 1925 and 1929. During these trips, he studied the work of the Old Masters, whose vigorous style would influence his own work. Throughout the 1920s Marsh studied at the Art Students League of New York under such artists as John Sloan, Kenneth Hayes Miller, and George Luks, whose preoccupation with modern urban life also influenced him.
In 1929 Marsh began to paint the life around him in New York. He walked the streets of the city, sketching the neighbourhoods, people, subways, elevated trains, and movie and burlesque houses. In particular he was attracted to the Coney Island beach, with its huge, often chaotic crowds. Marsh was also fascinated with the derelicts of the Bowery, whom he painted nonjudgmentally and without a note of social protest. Among his most important paintings are Why Not Use the "L"? (1930), Tattoo and Haircut (1932), and Twenty-cent Movie (1936).
Marsh taught at the Art Students League from 1934 until his death and also at the Moore Institute of Art, Science and Industry, in Philadelphia, from 1949.


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Baltimore, Maryland (IOCC)
Nisrine, 23, a Syrian refugee, huddles with her heavily bundled newborn daughter next to the welcome warmth of a propane stove provided by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). Winter storms brought heavy snow and frigid temperatures to northern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley where thousands of Syrian refugee families live in flimsy vinyl tents or tenement buildings that are little more than concrete shells with no electricity or water. Lebanon has no designated refugee camps in spite of the estimated 840,000 Syrians who fled there to escape the civil war raging in their homeland. The severe winter weather and lack of adequate shelter leaves vulnerable families with young children exposed to the elements and threatens their health and well-being.
IOCC, an ACT Alliance member, is responding now to the urgent needs of 900 Syrian refugee families living in Lebanon's coldest regions with the distribution of stoves and fuel for heating and cooking. IOCC is also providing new refugee mothers like Nisrine with pre and post natal care as well as health care for refugee infants and young children under five years of age.
Since March 2012, IOCC has provided humanitarian relief to more than 890,000 Syrian people displaced in their own country or living as refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Armenia. For more information, contact: Rada K. Tierney, IOCC Media Relations, 443-823-3489
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

subset: commoncrawl


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While the wondrous journey of prayer reaches the highest Heavenly realms, it begins in this physical and lowest of all worlds. Accordingly, when one prays with proper intention his prayers are likened to a spiritual ladder, complete with all its rungs (Ba'al Ha'Turim). As a person prays, his soul climbs this ladder ― rung by rung ― ascending higher and drawing closer to the more sublime realms above. Since the revelation of G-d's light is far more intense in the upper worlds, the experience of prayer is a great help in refining and purifying man's soul (Arizal).
We find an allusion to the above idea in the beginning of this week's Torah portion: "And he (Yaakov) dreamed, and behold! A ladder was set earthward, and its top reached heavenward; and behold! Angels of G-d were ascending and descending on it (Ber. 28:12)."
The Rambanexplains that the place where Yaakov lay down to sleep is the same place where the Beit Hamikdash was eventually built, and it is from there that all prayers ascend to Heaven. That is why, when Yaakov awoke, he declared: "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of G-d, and this is the Heavenly gate."
The phrase, "This is the Heavenly Gate" teaches us that all prayers ascend, and all blessing descend at the place of the Beit Hamikdash, and from there they spread to the entire world. This is because Jerusalem is the heart and life source of the world.
The angels mentioned in Yaakov's dream, whose main occupation is the perpetual praise of G-d, can be understood as a reference to the Jewish people, who, when involved in prayer and praising God, resemble angels ascending to Heaven.
Accordingly, the Zohar explains that one should liken oneself to the angels during prayer. This is why we stand with our feet together for the Amidah standing prayer, as it is written about the angels, "Their legs were a straight leg," as if to say that their legs appeared as one.
Since the angels in Yaakov's dream represent the Jewish people in prayer, we are told first of their ascent, and then their descent. This is in accordance with the process of the daily prayers which first flow from below to above, and then from above to below. The reason for this is that after one completes the ascent to Heaven, he must channel G-d's blessings back down to this physical world.


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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Trae Golden had 24 points and eight assists Saturday as Tennessee rolled to an 88-58 victory over No. 25 Kentucky, giving the Volunteers their most lopsided win in the 216-game history of this series.
Kentucky (17-8, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) was playing its first game without star center Nerlens Noel, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Tuesday during a loss to No. 7 Florida.
The Wildcats looked like a completely different team without him.
Jordan McRae scored 15 points and Kenny Hall had 12 points as Tennessee (14-10, 6-6) shot 58 percent and won its third straight game. Jarnell Stokes had nine points and nine rebounds, ending his string of six consecutive double-doubles.
Kyle Wiltjer scored 18 points, Julius Mays had 12 points and Jarrod Polson had a career-high 11 for Kentucky. Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress and Ryan Harrow all fouled out.


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The people behind the Estonian Gastronomy Award, SilverSpoon, have named Stenhus the Best Gourmet Restaurant in Estonia for three years in a row now (2004, 2005, 2006). And I can see why. It's a charming venue with wonderful atmosphere and gorgeous food. I was definitely sold the moment I stepped down those medieval stairs, and when I saw that they had have a Menu Estonie, I knew it was my kind of place. A bit pricey, granted, but well worth the money.
K. took me there last July, when I was still an expat-Estonian, so a special 'Estonian menu' at an upmarket restaurant was instantly appealing. I love Estonian food - especially our way with mushrooms, our humble grain porridges and fluffy mousses, hearty soups, and the simple desserts consisting of wild berries. But in the fancy world of haute cuisine and über-creative foodblogging, Estonian food tends to remain the poor old country relative.. Not in Stenhus, though. The Chef Tõnis Siigur (still in his early 30s) is obviously very talented and rather creative. He's taken some of our humblest ingredients and simplest dishes and re-invented them. I loved every single morsel I was served, and left the restaurant a bit giddy and full of ideas of re-inventing some 'culinary oldies' myself.
I apologise for the lack of pictures. It was my first meal with K. since our trip to Paris, so I just wanted to enjoy the meal and the company. By the end of the meal I felt brave enough to take one sneak shot, however (see above). I blame a certain bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for that moment of courage...
Menu Estonie
Beignets of Baltic Herring with Yoghurt and Morena Roe Sauce, Fresh Cucumber Salad with Coriander
I really enjoyed this one, though I had only realised few days earlier at a wedding in Stockholm that I actually quite like (some) fish roe after all. The fish was moist and flavoursome, the coriander & cucumber salad refreshing.Spiced Potato with Lingonberries and Croutons, Parsley Salad
A truly delicious course, based on the local peasant classic, mulgipuder. It's such a simple dish consisting of mashed potatoes and cooked pearl barley, topped with some fried lardons. Yet, the Chef had done wonders to it. There was a small mashed potato/barley disc on the plate, topped with tiniest of bacon morsels, and surrounded by small puddles of lingonberry coulis. Surprisingly elegant and light.Estonian Pork Confit with Turnips and Sweet Onions
This was the richest of the offerings, which is not surprising for the main course. I didn't finish all the pork, but the confit was gutsy and flavoursome. The caramelised turnip was an interesting addition, and there was not a potato on sight (a rarity in Estonia, believe me).Green Apple Jelly with Black Bread Cream and Oatflake Cookie
Yet another revelation. Rye bread soup (leivasupp) is a very old Estonian dessert, which I quite happen to love, when well-made. Tõnis Siigur had turned it into an ice cream, which was brave and definitely a successful move. Very nicely balanced by the tart apple jelly and caramelised oatflake cookie.The Menu Estonie has four courses, but I had a lovely extra dessert that night. As K. had ordered the 5-course Menu Degustation/Assorted Specialities of the Chef (950.00 EEK / 60.70 €), then the restaurant brought me an extra dessert, too.
Tomato and Strawberry Gazpacho with Basil Ice Cream
(above) was a perfect choice for a hot and long July evening. It was exactly what it promised - a sweet red gazpacho and herby sorbet (you can see a wonderful rendition of the latter over at Bea's blog). Come next summer and I'll be turning my mum's first strawberries into a dessert gazpacho for sure.I cannot wait to go back. The roaring fireplaces must be even more enchanting during long and dark winter nights...
Restoran Stenhus
Pühavaimu 13/15
Telephone: +372-6997780
Chef: Tõnis Siigur


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Because each of our children were a month shy of two years old when I became pregnant with their younger sibling, we've been able to have conversations at a more detailed level than we otherwise may have. While some of the specifics have been a bit fuzzy or mixed up in their young minds, the basic concept has been relatively easy for them to grasp. These are some of the ways we introduce the children to the idea of a younger sibling; as always, I look forward to your additional suggestions in the comments.
Who do you love?
Talking about the people we love is one of our primary ways of introducing siblings to the idea of Mommy and Daddy loving the new baby as well as them. These lists take various forms, including "I love...", "who do you love?", and "who loves you?".
"Mommy loves you. I love your brother. I love Daddy. I love the new baby growing in my tummy. I love Grandma and Grandpa. I love Oma and Opa. I love..."These conversations are casual, spontaneous, filled with laughter (and often tickles), and take place even when we're not expecting a new baby. They are one of our bedtime calming games and a fun way to bond while remembering loved ones both near and far. We've found the "new baby" is soon added to their own lists after hearing our lists grow to include him or her.
What will you do?
Two more casual conversations we use to introduce siblings to the idea of "life after the new baby" center on brainstorming things they can do with the baby and things they can do while the baby nurses/sleeps/etc.
"What will you do with the baby?" focuses on ways they can help care for the baby (assisting with diaper changes, for example), entertain the baby (such as singing songs or reading books to him or her), and gently show the baby love (soft touches, kisses, and so on).
"What will you do while the baby _____?" focuses more on them instead of on the baby. What can they do while the baby is nursing? They can, for example, snuggle beside me while I read to them. What can they do while the baby is sleeping? We can play board games or do puzzles together. What can they do when the baby is crying? Maybe sing quiet songs, make silly faces, or help Mommy get ready to feed the baby.
We talk about these things as they naturally arise in our day-to-day conversations, and the kids enjoy brainstorming with us. When they're done talking about it, no problem; we simply move on with our day.
Making it concrete
Interact with the baby
Both of the boys love feeling the baby move around inside of me. It gives them a chance to interact with the baby. Other interactive things they enjoy include putting their ear on my belly to "hear" the baby, assisting the midwife during our prenatal appointments, seeing the baby during ultrasounds, and speculating about what the baby is doing in there right now.
Look at the baby
While they can't see our own baby (aside from ultrasounds), looking at photos of babies in utero helps them to better understand how things work. For example, our toddler had become convinced that the baby was already drinking Mommy's milk; sitting down to look at a baby in the womb allowed me to point out the placenta, the umbilical cord, and give him a basic two-year-old-level introduction to the way baby receives nutrition while inside of me. Similarly, when the boy wanted to know how the baby got out, being able to point to the birth canal and show how the baby would move from the womb out into the world made things clearer than my initial verbal explanation had.
Our absolute favourite resource is the University of Maryland Medical Center's interactive fetal development slide. Both of the kids love seeing the baby grow bigger and smaller, bigger and smaller, over and over and over again. Personally, I just cringe at the visual of my organs being squished up towards my lungs; suddenly the heartburn and shortness of breath make complete sense.
Touch the baby
In addition to looking at photos of babies in utero, having opportunities where they can interact with real live babies has been excellent preparation. We are blessed to have many friends with little babies right now, so the toddler especially has had a great pre-introduction to the concepts of touching gently and not jabbing the baby in the eye.
Hold the baby
Finally, providing them with their own baby dolls gives them the chance to nurture their "baby" and experiment with the concepts of giving birth, nursing the baby, and caring for the baby. While girls are often given dolls automatically, boys too benefit from this opportunity to nurture a "baby" of their own, regardless of whether another little sibling is on the way. Our boys enjoy swaddling their babies, giving them "mommy's milk", putting them to sleep, carrying them in a child-sized baby carrier, and occasionally throwing them across the room or driving trucks over them.
Preparing for baby
Including children in preparations for the new baby is another way to help them feel involved with and connected to their soon-to-be sibling. Such involvement may include, for example:
- choosing a new outfit or small toy,
- offering name suggestions,
- selecting "baby's first outfit",
- setting up a nursery,
- putting together baby equipment,
- sorting through clothing,
- stocking a diaper change area, or
- painting a picture to be hung near the baby's sleep space.
Making transitions
Often some transitions will need to be made in preparation for the new baby. Many parents find pregnancy an opportune time to potty train, night wean, move the older sibling out of the family bed, or teach skills that will increase their independent activity. Such transitions, of course, will depend on the readiness of the individual child and the particular needs and desires of the family unit. When such transitions are undertaken in preparation for the new baby, it is preferable to make them well in advance and to avoid linking them to the new sibling. This decreases the likelihood of sibling resentment and jealousy as well as feelings of being displaced by the new baby.
With each pregnancy, we have moved the older child out of the family bed in preparation for having a new little one join us there. (Other parents choose to co-sleep with both the older child and the new baby. This is a great option that, with planning, can be done both safely and enjoyably.) This nighttime transition is done in gentle stages over the course of the pregnancy and is never framed in terms of "making room for the new baby"; likewise with other such preparatory transitions.
These types of preparations, along with a large dose of good fortune, helped ease our transition from one child to two. Our first child showed no signs of sibling jealousy, resentment, or regression upon the birth of his little brother. Whether we will have the same experience with the move from two children to three remains to be seen. So far, their excitement is encouraging! In the meantime, we will continue to prepare the boys for this new cherished member of our family while hoping for the smoothest possible transition for each of us.
How do you prepare older siblings for the arrival of a new baby?


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Velvel: Pretending November 7th Never Happened
Re: Pretending That November 7th Never
Happened. Also, It Is
Now Time To Quite Seriously Ask The
Question Of
Whether George Bush Is Sane.
From: Dean Lawrence R. Velvel
November 29, 2006
Dear Colleagues:
This blogger is not the first to say that, since daybreak of November 8th, much of Washington, D.C. and its satellite media have been engaged in an effort to insure that in reality nothing changes in regard to Iraq, in an effort to pretend, that is, that November 7th never happened. There are legislators and pundits, even some new Democratic legislators apparently, telling us, as with Viet Nam, that more American troops are what is needed. There are people warning us, as with Viet Nam, that disasters are aborning if we pull out. There are people telling us, as with Viet Nam if memory serves, that we should set timetables to get out. There are people like Bush telling us, as with Viet Nam, that we must stay the course. As was asserted here two weeks ago but was confirmed only in recent days, the Iraq Study Group met with the Pretexter-In-Chief so that he could pitch them not to go off the reservation, and his pitch was stay the course. There are people saying, as with the South Viet Namese government, that we can get out only when and after the Iraqi government becomes effective, which, again as with South Viet Nam, will obviously never happen. We have people saying we should enlist Iran and Syria -- now former members of the former axis of evil, apparently -- to help us end the disaster in Iraq, the disaster which they helped create, from which they benefit, and which there is no known reason for them to want to bring to an end. (One might even say that the current American administration of bullies and cowards, who ran and hid from Viet Nam and who keep their families safe from Iraq, first called Iran and Syria names but now have to beg them for help. Nice people, these bullies and cowards. Smart too.) There are leading Democrats saying (pace November 7th) that impeachment of the Pretexter-In-Chief, for his crimes and lies is off the table.
There is one thing that there is none of, however, or at most very little of. As with most of Viet Nam, there is no hot shot pundit or Washington big shot saying get out of Iraq and get out now. That would be the real change, and that is why we are not hearing it. The rest of what we are hearing is just one variation or another on the theme that, for one purported reason or another, nothing will really change: under the variations we will be in Iraq anywhere from another year to another five years -- or more.
There are some other things we are not hearing, or have begun to hear only on very rare occasions because they would be a sea change. True, we have begun to hear, now and then, complaints that the big shots don't send their own family members to run the risks of war; they only send other people's family members. That this simple fact has finally begun to penetrate the thick headed media and public consciousness is an improvement over previous brainlessness. And we do hear the first stirrings of the very beginnings of consciousness that this has been an aggressive, warlike country since at least 1898, probably since 1846, or even much earlier in regard to the American Indians. These are the first stirrings of the beginnings of a realization that we are a western hemisphere last-half-of-the-19th-century-and-first-part-of-the-20th-century Germany, not a peaceful Sweden or Switzerland. These stirrings of beginnings do mark a potential sea change in the American viewpoint. One wonders if the stirrings will outlast Iraq.
But though we do see a change in prior thick headedness about the big shots' family members and the first stirrings of reassessment regarding national aggressiveness, we do not hear other crucial points. We do not hear, for example, that our position in the world improved greatly after we got out of Viet Nam, instead of getting worse, as doomsaying warmongers predicted. To hear this would encourage a departure from Iraq, which Washington and the pundits are determined shall not occur, so we don't hear it. Relatedly, we do not hear that war is the most debilitating thing, the most morale-destroying thing, that can befall a nation, even if it is good for the economy, or at least not bad for it, and even if it is fought by only a small slice of the population, who bear the burden for everyone. For politicians and pundits to state this obvious truth would again encourage departure from Iraq, so again we don't hear it.
Nor do we hear any recognition of the fact that leaders, politicians, journalists, lawyers, the man in the street, anyone, can dream up hypothetical scenarios of terrible things that will happen unless we do this or that. This technique is called a parade of horribles, is a staple of lawyers, and was one of the ways we got into the Iraq mess in the first place -- the parade of horribles was of the awful results that would arise if Saddam were allowed his supposed WMDs. One does not hear that the parade of horribles technique, as a mode of analysis, is far more often wrong than right, and is what the let's-stay-in-Iraq crew is relying on now in regard to the benefits to, and actions of, Iran and Syria if we were to depart Iraq. But exposure of the parade of horribles mode of analysis and its usual wrong headedness would encourage departure from Iraq, so we don't hear it exposed.
There is, of course, one horrible that already is happening in Iraq, and, because it is happening, and is worsening, is not a mere matter of imagining a possible parade of horribles. That is the constant, enormous, religiously based killing, what NBC News now deigns to call a civil war though other news media lack the guts to buck the administration on this. Because this is happening and is increasing, is driven by religious feuds that has existed for over a thousand years, and is no figment of imagination, it seems fair to assume that it won't get better if we depart. It will only remain the same or get worse. The sensible thing, therefore, as said here innumerable times, is to divide the country into three areas corresponding to religious preponderance, give people a few months to move if they want (as hundreds of thousands are already doing), and then get the hell out of the country. But only a few of the Washingtonites and pundits are for this course of action. For it too would enable a rapid departure from Iraq, would enable, that is, a rapid change in accordance with the electoral dictate of November 7th. And change in accordance with November 7th, as said, is not what is desired by the people who run this country and want to pretend that November 7th never happened.
This blogger was among the very first writers to say that George Bush is incompetent, a view which now has become virtually a drug on the market. This writer may be the only one to also say, and surely there are at most only a few others who say, that except for being venally crafty in politics, Bush is stupid as well as incompetent. But until very recently it never occurred to me to question whether Bush is sane. Yes, he kept on and on in Iraq, but one chalked this up to the fact that he is by nature stubborn and, besides, is a spoiled brat who always got his way in life (despite his constant incompetence) because of who his family is and who therefore cannot accept that he will be thwarted.
But as with all of this writer's other opinions about Bush, simple facts are causing a judgment to be made. Bush has constantly been saying we will stand down when the Iraqi army can stand up, and he is quoted as saying just yesterday that "I'm not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete." (Remember "Mission accomplished" a few years ago?) Apparently, from what one reads, for the mission to be complete the Iraqi government must produce a stable country -- maybe even a democratic one, although the latter desideratum may have gone by the boards.
But to think that we or the Iraqi government can create a stable Iraq seems vastly out of touch with the facts on the ground, with the ever increasing violence, more than a millennium of religious hatred, and the hatred of Americans. (One is speaking now, as Bush does, of a unitary Iraq, not a country divided into three nations according to religious preponderance.) To think that we or the Iraqi government can create a stable Iraq is so out of touch with what has been happening on the ground for years, and recently has been getting even worse, that one literally has to question the sanity of somebody who propounds it as a goal. In everyday life, someone who refuses to recognize the reality, who refuses to recognize the actual facts, of the world around him, and who instead lives in a dream world in his head, is regarded as not being sane, as being, to use the blunt words, insane or crazy. Why is it different when it is a national leader who refuses to recognize facts in the world and instead lives in a dream world in his head?
The horrible thought is that we have been taken into and kept in Iraq by a guy who is not quite right in the head. His life has shown elements of lack of balance you know, and other countries have had leaders whom we regarded, or have come to regard, as not quite right in the head for one reason or another. (I really don't have to mention names, do I?) So why should it be impossible that our national leader too is a bit "teched,"as they say, or maybe is more than just a bit "teched." Refusing to recognize the facts of the world, after all, and instead living in a dream world in one's head, is not the model definition of sanity.*
* This posting represents the personal views of Lawrence R. Velvel. If you wish to respond to this email/blog, please email your response to me at email@example.com. Your response may be posted on the blog if you have no objection; please tell me if you do object.
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Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell) is a business titan, inventor, scientist, Nobel Laureate, gourmand, two-time Olympic medalist, and genius… who also happens to be a dog.
Using his most ingenious invention, the WABAC machine, Mr. Peabody and his adopted boy Sherman (Max Charles) hurtle back in time to experience world-changing events first-hand and interact with some of the greatest characters of all time.
But when Sherman breaks the rules of time travel, our two heroes find themselves in a race to repair history and save the future, while Mr. Peabody may face his biggest challenge yet – being a parent.
Enjoy this movie trailer? Check out Heaven Is For Real – Official Trailer


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Look for reasons if patients refuse advice
Refusal can be frustrating for physicians, who likely see their medical advice as contributing toward healing and improving quality of life. But patients reserve the right to make informed decisions about their care, even if these decisions run counter to what's been recommended.
Internists will inevitably encounter patients who refuse recommended screening and treatment, whether it's declining to obtain a flu shot or choosing not to take medication for a chronic disease such as diabetes or hypertension. Refusal can be frustrating for physicians, who likely see their medical advice as contributing toward healing the sick and improving the quality of their patients' lives.
But patients reserve the right to make informed decisions about their care, even if what they ultimately decide to do, or not do, runs counter to medical advice. ACP's Ethics Manual, Sixth Edition, clearly states 3 pillars of informed decision-making, the third of which is that decisions made by patients or their surrogates must be voluntary and uncoerced.
"Basically, informed refusal is the flipside of informed consent, where it's the right of any adult who has decision-making capacity to refuse any kind of medical intervention, even if the physician thinks it's a bad decision," said Michael J. Green, MD, MS, FACP, professor in the departments of humanities and medicine at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa. "It's about respecting patient autonomy."
What is 'informed'?
Providing information in the course of shared decision making amounts to offering alternatives, said Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, director of the Oncology Sexual Health Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
"My job as a physician is not to give patients a roadmap of what I would choose for them, but to give them several routes, outline the risks and benefits of each, and provide my 2 cents," Dr. Dizon said. "Then the patient can give me a sense of her goals, values and preferences that I can put into context. How does the information I am providing fit with what is important to her?"
Laying out all the options can also help the physician reframe the discussion for himself or herself, said Paul S. Mueller, MD, FACP, chair of the department of general internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and a past member of ACP's Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee. "There's a whole list of options for low-grade prostate cancer, including prostatectomy, hormonal treatments, radiation and watchful waiting. If a patient says that, after putting it all together, he wants to do radiation, he's not refusing surgery as much as he's accepting radiation."
Dr. Green notes the power of a second, or even third, opinion. "I encourage patients to consult with other physicians, and tell them that maybe someone else can help clarify the issue better than I can," he said.
Assessing capacity
ACP's Ethics Manual notes that decision-making capacity should be evaluated for a particular decision at a particular point in time and notes that a patient may be able to express a particular goal or wish but not have the ability to make more complex decisions. In other words, the patient may wish to receive care and get well but not be able to weigh the risks and benefits of one treatment against those of another.
"Assessing Competence to Consent to Treatment: A Guide for Physicians and Other Health Professionals," by Thomas Grisso, PhD, and Paul S. Appelbaum, MD, lays out 4 scenarios that should prompt physicians to be extra cautious in assessing decision-making. These are when patients:
- have an abrupt change in mental status,
- refuse recommended treatment, especially if they are do not want to discuss why,
- consent to particularly risky treatments without careful consideration of the risks and benefits, or
- have known risk factors for impaired decision-making, including neurological conditions, cultural or language barriers, and advancing age.
Age-related cognitive impairment can be particularly challenging. According to a study published in the July 27, 2011, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the overall prevalence of incapacity among healthy elderly patients is 2.8%, signifying a need for assessment, yet the study also revealed that physicians identify incapacity in just 42% of affected patients.
"You have to be careful with the nuances of these situations, as people change over time," said Davoren A. Chick, MD, FACP, clinical assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "There are gray zones where it becomes more difficult to have the conversation. There may be cases where the patient has borderline decision-making capacity or early dementia but is not really at a stage where they have lost the ability to decide."
The JAMA study compared several tools for assessing capacity, including the Aid to Capacity Evaluation (ACE), the Hopkins Competency Assessment Test, and the Understanding Treatment Disclosure, and suggests that the ACE, which is backed by a large clinical trial, may be the most practical for physicians to use. The ACE, which is online, contains questions and a scoring system to determine capacity when the patient faces a medical decision.
Voluntary refusal
It is an unfortunate reality that patients are sometimes convinced to make decisions counter to their own desires and that sometimes the "convincing" becomes coercive.
"There is coercion in all sorts of settings. Sometimes there are time or financial burdens associated with the treatment so that someone else is telling the patient to say no," said Dr. Mueller. "Maybe the patient is also caring for someone at home. Maybe the treatment is expensive and a spouse says the couple can't afford it. Those are rational motives for a patient, but it should be the patient's decision, not a third party's."
Dr. Dizon pointed to certain cultural values as a source of coercion. "In some cultures, it's not what a woman wants, but what her husband wants. Bring the husband in and include him in the discussion if the woman will allow it, but make sure that the decision is being made according to her values and preferences."
When in doubt, physicians should take a step back and get input and validation, said Dr. Chick. "There is plenty of time to get outside support for your role. Check with your state medical board, look for precedents [in the literature], and review ethics guidelines. It's not necessary to pressure a patient or yourself to make a decision about something you feel uncomfortable about."
Physicians themselves can be guilty of coercion by offering only one option for care, taking a paternalistic approach to the patient, or threatening to dismiss a patient from a practice if the patient does not comply with recommendations. Such interactions may leave a patient feeling like treatment is an either/or proposition when in reality, it is anything but, said Dr. Green.
"If a physician says he or she is only willing to write a prescription for one specific type of medication, the patient may very well turn around and say he or she will not take anything at all," Dr. Green said. "Pragmatic physicians compromise and negotiate. Maybe the patient won't choose the medication you prefer but will choose another instead. Remember that second best tends to be better than nothing."
A respectful attitude is crucial to ensuring that a physician does not inadvertently turn a patient off to treatment or medical care in general, said Dr. Dizon.
"Patients don't want to feel like they are being foolish. Even if their concerns don't seem important to you, those concerns are important to them, so don't trivialize what they are saying," Dr. Dizon said. "There have been times when I've thought a patient was making an incredibly bad mistake. In situations like that I encourage them to go home and think about it. I want to make sure they are comfortable with the decisions they made."
Threatening to dismiss a patient because he or she won't comply is unacceptable, said Dr. Mueller. "Never abandon a patient because the patient refused treatment. Refusal is not something you should take personally," he said. "The patient's reasons most likely have nothing to do with you. Ultimately our goal is to serve the needs of the patient in a way that is consistent with their values and goals."
Don't stop at 'no'
Although patients have the right to refuse screenings and treatments, the experts agree that a simple "no" should not be the end of the discussion.
"The most important thing is that if a patient refuses something, that doesn't mean you're done and the conversation is over. You need to understand the reasons why," said David Magnus, PhD, Thomas A. Riffin Professor in Medicine and Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. "Find out how they came to believe as they do."
This goes back to making sure patients truly understand the options that have been explained to them, Dr. Magnus added.
"You need to rule out misunderstandings," he said. "It's incredibly common for there to be miscommunication. Once you're sure the patient understands all the options and the implications of his or her decision, from there you can negotiate to meet the patient's needs as best you can, given the constraints placed by the patient."
Dr. Green noted that often it's not the treatment or screening patients take issue with, but the prospect of side effects, pain, or an impact on their livelihood or lifestyle.
"It's not really refusing the intervention, but something associated with it. Recognize that not everyone values the same things equally," he said. "You as a physician might be concerned with one specific thing in a patient's case [like minimizing risk or treating a particular disease], but that may be just one of 10 things that are important to the patient."
He added that irrational fears can compound an issue. "That's where it gets dicey. Then the physician's responsibility is to help that patient address that fear. If a patient says she's deathly afraid of feeling nauseated [from a drug], explain that there are ways of avoiding nausea."
Primary care physicians are in an excellent position to build a case for treatment, not only because they have ready access to a patient's entire medical history and can tailor recommendations with that history in mind but also because having a long-term relationship with a patient allows them get to know the patient as an individual, the experts said.
"It's important to remember that our profession is engaged in supporting a patient's life journey, not just a specific medical event. Each patient has different perceptions and prior experiences, both good and bad, and exploring them helps you to get to know what's important to the patient," said Dr. Chick. "You have the opportunity to get down to the fundamental desires of that patient, and make sure their choices are congruent with their own value system."
To illustrate, Dr. Chick noted a patient who arrived at an appointment extremely hypertensive but who did not like the idea of taking a blood pressure medication. The patient was proud of being able to live independently and make her own decisions, so Dr. Chick couched the need for treatment in terms that appealed to the patient's values.
"I explained that my concern was that if she did not take her medication and she had a stroke, that could impair her ability to function and remain independent, which could also compromise her ability to call her own shots," she said.
Ultimately, the goal is for both patient and physician to feel comfortable in the knowledge that the decision was made after the appropriate due diligence and consideration, but there is one caveat, said Dr. Magnus.
"Sometimes it's up to the state," he said. "For example, with things like tuberculosis, public health officials are authorized to incarcerate certain individuals as a matter of public health. You don't need informed consent for something that is required by law."
The experts agree that when patients refuse screening or treatment, detailed notes are a must.
"Spell it out," said Dr. Mueller. "You met with Mrs. Jones. You indicated that a statin would be appropriate and offered it to her. She refused, and her reason for refusal is that she'd rather take a dietary approach."
Overall, the procedure for documenting informed refusal can be similar to documenting informed consent, depending on state laws.
"There are standard protocols for recording that you have gone over the options with the patient and explained the risks of not undergoing treatment or screening," said Dr. Dizon. He added that documentation is not only for legal protection, so that there is a written record of the patient receiving and understanding the information, but for the physician's peace of mind, as well.
"By aiming to understand the rationale behind a decision, you can feel more assured that you did your best to present the options in a balanced way," he said. "There are not a lot of absolutes in medicine. Sometimes we as physicians need to admit that to ourselves."


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SAN ANTONIO – Tim Duncan had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Chicago Bulls 101-83 on Wednesday night in a matchup of teams missing their starting All-Star point guards.
Manu Ginobili added 18 points and nine assists, Tiago Splitter had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Kawhi Leonard scored 14 points for San Antonio (48-14), which was playing its second game without Tony Parker.
Patty Mills provided a needed punch off the Spurs' bench, scoring 10 of his 13 points in the second half.
Parker is expected to miss about four weeks with an ankle sprain and Derrick Rose has yet to play for Chicago this season after undergoing major knee surgery.
Marco Belinelli had 21 points, Luol Deng added 19, Marquis Teague had 11 and Carlos Boozer 10 for Chicago (34-27).
The Bulls led by as many as 14 points before the Spurs rallied behind increased defensive activity. Chicago shot 8 for 31 in the first 18 minutes of the second half.
San Antonio chipped away at the lead in the third quarter, finally taking a 66-65 advantage on Boris Diaw's free throw that completed a three-point play.
Nate Robinson's 3-pointer put the Bulls back ahead, but the Spurs went on a 14-0 run to bridge the third and fourth quarters.
Deng's 3 ended the run, pulling the Bulls within 80-71 with 9:27 left in the game.
San Antonio was able to close out its third straight win at home, outscoring Chicago 54-31 in the second half.
NOTES: Robinson has played all 61 games for the Bulls this season while Rose, Richard Hamilton and Kurt Hinrich have missed a combined 91 games. . With Cory Joseph starting the past two games, Ginobili is the only Spur playing significant minutes who has not started this season. Aron Baynes, who has appeared in nine games since signing Jan. 23, and James Anderson, who was waived Dec. 10 after appearing in 10 games, are the only other players on this season's roster to not start. . Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he talks regularly to his mentor, former Spurs coach and current SMU coach Larry Brown. "I just talked to Coach yesterday. He's enjoying (coaching SMU) because he gets to practice ... all the time. If Larry Brown can practice and teach, he's a happy camper. That's great. He's enjoyed the school and I know he's enjoyed being back in the saddle. He'll go crazy if he's not coaching." . Bulls GM John Paxson played his first two seasons with the Spurs before signing with the Bulls as a free agent in 1985. Paxson spent his final nine seasons in Chicago, where he won three straight NBA titles alongside Michael Jordan.


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Many side effects of treatment are time-limited. They end once the treatment ends. But others may develop over time or be a sign of more serious damage from treatment. For instance, chemotherapy can damage organs, such as kidneys or lungs. Also, when leukemia cells break down during treatment, they release their contents into the bloodstream. This can cause what is called Tumor Lysis syndrome. It can also affect certain organs. If you have a stem cell transplant, the immune system cells from a donor attack the leukemia cells. They can also attack your normal cells, causing a variety of side effects. And, in rare cases, you may develop another type of cancer as a side effect of treatment.
For these reasons, it is important to tell your health care team about your symptoms and to keep your follow-up appointments. That way, your doctor can more closely monitor you and do everything possible to prevent these side effects or to reduce their impact. For instance, your doctor may prescribe drugs or extra fluids to flush broken-down leukemia cells from your body.
Here are a few things you can expect during follow-up visits. How often you need these visits will depend on whether you are receiving treatment, are in remission, or have relapsed: Your doctor will give you a physical examination.
- You'll give a small sample of blood for your doctor to get blood counts to check for issues of infection or immunosuppression.
- You may need a bone marrow test.
Depending on your situation, you may need other tests as well.


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A look at the best tweets from the world of UFC. Follow @ufc, the list of official UFC accounts, and the list of UFC fighters to keep up with these guys and gals.
UFC on FOX: Johnson vs Dodson
Flyweight title fight on tap - @MightyMouseUFC vs. @JohnDodsonMMA pic.twitter.com/biMveTpv -UFC
Weight cut time :-) #teammighty -Demetrious Johnson
I finally got a photo with @Rampage4real Coolest man on the planet. http://via.me/-933zme4 -John Dodson
Hard work is gonna pay off this weekend. @reebok #tearitup pic.twitter.com/QWjCdpeF -Quinton Jackson
You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough! Be phenomenal or be forgotten! @Ericthomasbtc #noregrets pic.twitter.com/96VEcCxq -Anthony Pettis
Sometimes you come to Chicago to fight and end up here! What a crazy day already http://lockerz.com/s/278956604 -Donald Cowboy Cerrone
Went from 80 degrees in Phoenix to 10 degrees in Chicago, finally get to wear a coat. pic.twitter.com/ijDCkONC -Ryan Bader
Some hungry peeps! http://instagr.am/p/U4oeE5IVfH/ -Erik Jon Koch
At the United Center for the Pre-fight press conference. http://instagr.am/p/U4BnvtrMgL/ -Ricardo Lamas
I know 2 people ready for The Dudes fight! pic.twitter.com/ASI88NMd -Clay Guida
Thank you very much for the support. I will do my best to win this -Hatsu Hioki
So many wonderful people in #Chicago what an amazing place remember this Saturday @ufc is in town come support us :) -Simeon Thoresen
Met some great fans in front of the hotel... pic.twitter.com/RYgbFCF3 -Mike Russow
Personal record for me today, 3 tweets in one day, I think I'm getting the hang of this :) -Mike Russow
171 pic.twitter.com/UHhZ7Al1 -Pascal Krauss
Headed to Chicago- UFC ON FOX. -Chael Sonnen
It's What He Does and Why He Does It!
I love that Burt gets happy every time somebody makes weight -Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Meanwhile in Chicago, Miller Goes for It
Had some Chicago deep dish and went 1-0 in arm wrestling, that's a damn good night in my book. Even turned on the switch, over the top style -Jim Miller
Nerd Fight Brewing
Holy crap, Archer is the best cartoon ever #expectingnerdybacklashfromstatement -Ronda Rousey
@RondaRousey Yup hilarious but #familyguy -Kenny Florian
@kennyflorian wha?! come back to GFC and we'll settle this Kflo!! ;) -Ronda Rousey
Cold Cliches
I was going to take a picture of the temp gauge in my car. Then realized everyone else on twitter did it already. #Cold -Stipe Miocic
Tweets About Eats
Where do you think sells the best cookies? -Dan Hardy
Hard times shopping.Then they spring this on me,2 of my favorite things combined. Anyone try these? #FlyweightProblems pic.twitter.com/naipAjeK -Joseph Benavidez
When the will 2 win consumes ur thoughts, I need reminders 4 the little things. #CampLife #Feb16th http://instagr.am/p/U4YP-OJ1SK/ -Danny Castillo
Do they still make those soda-delicious snacks? They were delicious and shaped like bottles of pop #diabeetus -Mitch Clarke
Obligatory Mr. Shanky Zombie Tweet
Number one rule, cardio pic.twitter.com/sswubNKz -Daron Cruickshank
They Don't Call Him "Uncle Pleasant"
Hate kill destroy ... Off to the gym. Have a nice night f**ers -Ian McCall
Who Hasn't?
It seems perfectly normal to me to remove the stitches over my eye with toenail clippers in my bathroom? -Tim Kennedy
TUF 17 Poised to be a Big Hit
Thank u!!! Glad everyone is loving TUF on FX tonight. -Dana White
Looking forward to the #TUF premier tonight. I hope @BubbaTheMenace does well and @JonnyBones and @sonnench provide hours of entertainment. -Carlos Condit
UFC Performance Institute
Dana White On The Opening Of UFC PI Mexico


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If you are a gamer like me, chances are you've spent the last couple of weeks pretending to be a slight-of-build, slightly effeminate elf or oil-slathered beefcake of a Nord in Bethesda's new epic RPG, Skyrim.
The game (which sadly isn't available on OS X) is detailed to the point of absurdity, but here's one of the details that most emphasizes exactly how epic in scope and minutely detailed Skyrim is: in Skyrim, there are hundreds of in-game books to be found, equalling thousands of pages of text total. And most players never read a single page of them, because who wants to sit around in a game and read when there are orcs to hit with a flaming hammer?
If you've got an iPad (or Kindle, or iPhone, or Mac), though, there's no reason these beautifully written in-game texts need to languish in obscurity. Just download this ePub file and read all of Skyrim's text on your device of choice, not in some grubby dungeon somewhere.


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Boston, MA – Adrian Gonzalez had three RBI and the Red Sox rode a six-run first inning to a 10-4 shellacking of the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Mike Aviles went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI while David Ortiz homered and walked three times for the Red Sox, who have won nine of their last 11, including the final two of this three-game series.
Jon Lester (5-5) got the win, allowing four runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out four and did not issue a walk.
"He hasn't been getting runs," said Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine. "We got him runs right off the bat and he did the rest. He threw the ball very well today."
Ricky Romero (8-2) had won four straight decisions, but he was tagged for nine runs -- eight earned -- over three-plus innings in the loss.
Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion both homered for Toronto.
Romero scarcely resembled the hurler who had posted a 2.72 ERA in his three previous starts against Boston, all of which resulted in wins.
He was spotted an early lead when Brett Lawrie began the game with a double and scored on Colby Rasmus' infield single, but Boston emphatically answered back.
"He wasn't the same pitcher today and we recognized that early," said Valentine. "We took a lot of pitches and hardly swung at a ball out of the strike zone the first three innings."
The strategy worked, beginning with a leadoff walk by Daniel Nava, who scored on Dustin Pedroia's double to right. Ortiz then walked and Cody Ross singled to load the bases. Gonzalez followed with a chopper towards first base, which bounced under the glove of Encarnacion, allowing two more runs to cross the plate.
Mike Aviles and Darnell McDonald added consecutive RBI singles and Boston had a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
More walks followed an inning later, to Ortiz and Ross, and Gonzalez capitalized with a single to right, making it 7-1.
Romero was pulled after more of the same in the fourth, issuing a leadoff walk to Ortiz before a Ross double off the Green Monster placed runners at second and third. Gonzalez greeted Jesse Chavez with an RBI single and Aviles doubled later in the frame to score Ross.
Ortiz pushed Boston's final run across with a solo shot in the fifth -- his 21st of the season.
Bautista hit his 25th homer in the fourth inning -- a leadoff blast which cleared the Green Monster, exited the stadium, and dented the roof of a black SUV located in an adjacent parking lot.
Encarnacion homered on the heels of Bautista's double in the sixth and Kelly Johnson appeared to knock a solo blast in the ninth, but McDonald extended high over the right field fence and pulled back the long fly ball.
Game Notes
The Red Sox are now a season-high five games over .500, at 40-35...Bautista hit his 13th home run this June, the most homers by a player in any single month in club history...Bautista and Encarnacion have combined to hit 47 home runs this season, which is the most by any duo in the majors.


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SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A new law in Chile aims to take some of the fun out of fast-food by forcing McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and other restaurants to stop including toys and other goodies with children's meals.
The companies are still using toys to draw in Chile's increasingly chubby children more than a month after the ban took effect on June 7, Sen. Giudo Girardi said as he filed a formal complaint Wednesday.
"These businesses know that this food damages the health of children and they know that the law is in effect. They're using fraudulent and abusive means," Girardi said.
The complaint also targets makers of cereal, popsicles and other products that attract children with toys, crayons or stickers, as well as markets that sell the food.
If Chile's health ministry upholds his allegations, the companies could be forced to remove the goodies or face nominal fines.
The Associated Press left messages seeking reaction with spokesmen for McDonald's Corp., Burger King Worldwide Inc. and KFC's owner, Yum Brands Inc.
Girardi said he wrote the law because nearly a quarter of Chile's 6-year-olds now suffer from childhood obesity — and that its passage came despite seven years of industry lobbying.
"These corporations threatened that if the law was approved there would be no more money for children's foundations, the sick, or athletes, but we were finally able to create a great alliance between the civil society and scientists to defeat these lobbyists," the senator said.
McDonald's Happy Meals — marketed as "Cajitas Felices" in Spanish — have been a major draw for 4-year-old Florencia Moraga, who was playing with her Ice Age movie toys Wednesday night with her father Ricardo at a restaurant in downtown Santiago.
"I loooove McDonald's because of the toys in the Happy Meal!," Florencia said.
Moraga said he takes his daughter every two weeks to the fast-food chain, but would not come back if she becomes overweight.
"She's healthy, skinny, but a kid with obesity was just sitting next to us. If I were his father I wouldn't bring him here," he said.
The Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest sued McDonalds over using toys to market its food to children in 2010, but the claim was dismissed in April. San Francisco banned restaurants last year from providing toys along with meals high in fat, salt, and sugar, but McDonalds has continued providing toys there by charging consumers a small fee for the goodies. A similar measure was defeated in New York.
The experience of both U.S. cities helped Girardi craft his "junk food law," his spokeswoman, Carol Bortnick, said.
Sara Deon, an activist with Corporate Accountability International, campaigned for the measures in San Francisco and New York, and praised Chile for passing its law. But she said "Chilean public servants should have no illusions" about implementing it.
"Judging from McDonald's response to similar health laws in the U.S. we'd expect the corporation to respond as it long has: it will fight tooth and nail to continue marketing to children," she said. "It will take every opportunity to blame parents for today's health epidemic. Marketing to kids is core to McDonald's brand and to its bottom line."


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5 realisations that helped me write regularly
September 26, 2012productivity
I was recently talking with Eytan Levit, a really interesting founder who's had a lot of amazing experiences. We were chatting about some of his current challenges, and amongst some things to do with the startup, blogging also came up as something Eytan wanted to find regularity in. I'm happy that our chat triggered him to start writing again.
I've also since spoken to Andy, Alyssa and Sunil, who are getting into regular blogging and seem to be going through some of the experiences I had at the start of my blogging journey. I thought sharing some of my realisations about what held me back might help people create a habit quicker than I did.
I've now written over 50 articles on this blog over the last two years, and I've recently successfully written an article every week for the last 5 months. Luckily people have noticed this, and seem to enjoy the articles, and as a result I get a few people asking me how I've kept up blogging as a habit. This triggered me to think about the key things that helped me:
1. Research or strong points are not necessary
I used to often believe that I needed some very solid research to back up any thought I penned down in an article. I also frequently found myself thinking that my ideas or experience were not interesting or valuable enough for others.
I've since realised that by simply writing from a personal experience perspective, sharing lots of details about any topic I've recently touched on in my startup, personal projects or thoughts about life, I usually creating content that was interesting for people to read.
2. Delaying an article with the belief spending longer will make it better usually just means it won't get written
I used to create a draft in Tumblr every time I had an idea for a blog post. Then I'd let it sit there for a while, because I believed the idea wasn't fully formed yet, or I didn't have enough points to share about the topic. I believed by delaying, the perfect post would eventually come to mind.
What I've realised is that there is no better time to write the article than when the thought first enters your mind. I should only write it at another time if I simply can't open my laptop and write it all the way through right at that moment. The content is freshest when it first appears in my mind, and in that state I write the best posts.
I've gotten much better at this over time, but I have 10s of drafts lying in Tumblr from the early days when this caught me out time and time again. If you delay, the more likely outcome is that it just won't get written.
3. We should fear not publishing articles, rather than fearing the bad outcomes of putting something out there
Over time, the concept of "shipping" started to really fascinate me. I forced myself to, despite it being uncomfortable, "ship" everything I did earlier and earlier. Whether a product, a blog post, a speaking opportunity, I'd quit delaying and just put it out there or say "yes" to speaking.
One of my biggest learnings in the last year is that there is immense power in doing a huge volume of work. If I write a blog post every week, I learn a massive amount about what works, and it gives me much more inspiration for more articles. Also, if I write each week, I'm gradually reaching more people, growing my connections on Twitter and Facebook, and putting myself in a better position overall. I know now, that if I don't publish one week, I'm missing out on these benefits. Therefore, I actually fear not shipping.
4. When I have a strong connection between writing and my higher level goals and purpose, it's easy to write
One of my aspirations for some time which has driven many of my actions around writing and helping startup founders, is that I eventually want to be a fantastic advisor and angel investor for other startups. I want to be the kind of advisor who has been through many different experiences, and has a lot of thoughts about startup challenges and solutions right in my mind.
This higher level purpose is what often helps me go through the tougher times, since I need that experience first-hand in order to help others. It's also what helps me continually write, because I know that if I write a blog post about a topic, it is always very clear in my mind from then onwards. If someone asks advice on something I've written about, it's very easy to help them and add a lot of value.
5. Choosing a schedule for writing is a great hack to ensure regularity
Finding a pattern and rhythm for writing is really helpful of course. I've found that once I get 3. and 4. very clear in my head, that I fear that I'll fail to put something out there, and that I attach my writing to a higher level purpose, then it is much easier to establish a regular writing habit. In this way, I've been able to write consistently once a week for the last 5 months.
In the early days of my blog, I set myself a rule that I would always write on a Sunday, and always publish by noon. This worked very well, and it also meant that people began to notice my pattern and look forward to the content. I follow a similar pattern now - I always write on the second day of my weekend (whilst here in Tel Aviv that's been Saturday, normally it is Sunday).
Are there any cool realisations you've had whilst working towards a regular blogging or writing schedule?
Photo credit: Kartikay Sahay


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Online shopping not taking a big byte yet, say store owners
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer
This Christmas season, Laura Ammons has scoured for presents for her loved ones, checking off her list as she scoops up the perfect item. Rather than encountering a mad frenzy of crowds, however, Ammons sits quietly and peacefully (to the envy of many harried shoppers) while she does her Christmas shopping — online.
A growing number of Americans are turning to online shopping as a way to avoid the bustling crowds that fill malls and stores nationwide each holiday season. The Friday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, even has its own online counterpart a few days after, known as Cyber Monday. According to ComScore, a tracker that follows online shopping trends, this year's Cyber Monday was the heaviest online shopping day ever recorded, with online buyerss shelling out $733 million. This year, shoppers spent 21 percent more online than they did in 2006.
Yet that number remains exceedingly low when compared to the billion plus dollars spent by Americans that same weekend. And locally, retailers say they aren't yet seeing an impact from shoppers that opt to go online for their purchases.
Online and local
That's not to say local retailers don't attempt to attract shoppers online. Some area businesses have Web sites to showcase their offerings.
Related Items
Deanna Schleifer, owner of Christmas Everyday in Waynesville, was one of the first to get in on this trend when she started her site 11 years ago. She offers hard to find Christmas decorations, like a Moravian Star, on the site. So far, that tactic has served Schleifer well — she has boxes of items ready to go to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Raleigh, she said. Still, Schleifer says, "online is not a significant percentage of my business." She mainly has the site for people that have visited her store and want something they've seen, rather than gearing it toward online Christmas shoppers who aren't already aware of her offerings.
Mike Kesselring, owner of Kesselring Photography in Bryson City, also runs a Web site for his business — and says most of the people his site attracts have already visited his gallery.
Still, Kesselring says the site has been an asset. He's able to put pictures up on a web-based photo gallery and take orders from people who've attended family reunions and other events he photographs. Before, Kesselring would order proofs and they'd get lost, copied, or not sent back, he says.
Internet information
A Web site's not profitable, or necessary, for every business, however. Kevin Massie, who runs Massie's Furniture in downtown Waynesville, says his store has a website, but it's solely for informational purposes — nothing is offered for sale.
Furniture is a whole different ballgame though, Massie says.
"I think it's like shopping for a car — people have to see the furniture before they buy it," he said.
Gil Crouch, owner of Gil's Book Sale in Bryson City, has his own reasons for not investing in a Web site, though customers ask him frequently why he doesn't have one. He says he enjoys his freedom and doesn't want to be responsible for shipping something to a customer within a set number of days (as online booksellers like Amazon and Half.com must do). He also says he doesn't care about getting the extra dollars or business that come with having a Web site.
"I'm not out to make a fortune. I'm satisfied with my life," says Crouch.
And why should Crouch change his ways? He says he can't see any impact from people choosing to shop online rather than frequent his store — to the contrary, business has grown every year since Crouch started 14 years ago.
Crouch says this is likely due to a breed of customer he can always count on — tourists. For many, the experience of shopping is a critical part of a visit, and the customer base that feels that way will likely remain a constant source of revenue.
Crouch, like others, relies on creative and niche forms of marketing to attract shoppers who may otherwise buy from bigger stores online. He offers the biggest collection of Thomas the Tank Engine toys in the Southeast, and uses that designation to carve out a niche of dedicated shoppers. Additionally, Crouch knows places like EBay sometimes charge for the shipping and handling of items.
But, Crouch says, "the main thing with online is that you don't have anybody to talk back to you, and you can't see and feel the merchandise."
Margaret Osondu, owner of Osondu Booksellers in Waynesville, agrees that there are benefits for customers when they visit a store in person.
"If you come in and you get to see books, you might see something you didn't even know you wanted. Also, we have personal assistance, recommendations, and help with special orders," she said.
A key issue for those in the retail industry is making customers aware of benefits they won't necessarily derive from shopping online.
"We try really hard to help people understand what we do for the community we live in. Our money stays in town, and our tax dollars stay here. So we try to help people understand they're not just supporting the bookstore, they're supporting the community," Osondu said.
As for the bookstore's own Web site, it hasn't yet been successful in reaping the benefits of the growing trend toward online shopping. Osondu said her online sales make up only 5 percent of her total sales.


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GUIDESTONES at the IAWTV Awards
November 13th, 2012 by JayWe are delighted to report that Guidestones has received 5 nominations at the IAWTV Awards! The nominations include: Best Directing (Jay Ferguson), Best Cinematography (Jay Ferguson, Robert Barnett), Best Female Performance (Supinder Wraich), Best Editing (Anthony Baird, Thomas Smalley), and Best Supplemental Content.
The IAWTV press release is here.
You can watch the full IAWTV Awards announcement below, presented by Shira Lazar and Ethan Newberry of What's Trending.


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(Redirected from TEMPLE OF MOUNT GERIZIM.)Mountain south of the valley in which Shechem was situated; the present Jabal al-Ṭur (Deut. xi. 29, xxvii. 12; Josh. viii. 33; Judges ix. 7). It is 2,849 feet high, declines sharply to the north, and is sparsely covered at the top with shrubbery. After their separation from the Jews the Samaritans built a temple on it, which was destroyed by John Hyrcanus. But the mountain continued to be (John iv. 20), as it is to-day, the holy place of the Samaritans, reverenced by them as the scene of the sacrifice of Isaac and as the site of their temple, and upon which they still celebrate the Passover. The temple was surrounded by fortifications (comp. II Macc. v. 23), which survived the destruction of the temple (Josephus, "Ant." xiv. 6, § 2; xviii. 4, § 1; "B. J." iii. 7, § 32). After Christianity had secured a foothold in Shechem, there were frequent disturbances among the Samaritans, on account of which Justinian in 529 built a wall round the church which had been erected on Gerizim, to protect it; the line of this wall is probably to be seen in the extensive ruins still existing on the top of the mountain. Among others there are some ruins called "Lozah," the "Luza" mentioned by Eusebius ("Onomasticon," 214, 135), nine (Hieronymus says three) Roman miles from Shechem.
- Robinson, Researches, iii. 318-321;
- Pal. Explor. Fund, No. 2, pp. 187 et seq.;
- Gael, Altisraelitische Kultstätten, pp. 102 et seq.
Mount Gerizim, though more than sixty miles from the Jordan, was miraculously reached by the Israelites on the same day that they crossed that river. They proceeded at once to perform the solemn ceremony enacted there. Six tribes ascended to the summit of Gerizim, and the remainder placed themselves on the top of Mount Ebal; while the priests and the Levites, clustering round the Ark, took their stand in the valley between the two mountains. On turning their faces to Gerizim the Levites pronounced a benediction; on turning to Ebal, a curse (Soṭah 35a, 36a).
Mount Gerizim was one of the foremost causes of division between the Israelites and the Samaritans, the latter of whom, regarding it as the holy place chosen by God, built their temple there. This temple was destroyed on the twenty-fifth of Ṭebet in the days of Alexander by Simeon the Just, to whom that monarch had given permission to destroy it (Yoma 69a; comp., however, Josephus, "Ant." xiii. 3, § 4; "Yuḥasin," p. 138; Karme Shomron," p. 12).
The Samaritans are charged with having changed the words "in mount Ebal" (Deut. xxvii. 4) to "in mount Gerizim" ("Karme Shomron," p. 37). In the Samaritan Bible the words are always written as one, and is always changed into (ib). According to Simeon ben Eliezer, the wines of the Samaritans were forbidden because the latter used them in the worship of an image of a dove erected on the summit of Mount Gerizim (Ḥul. 6a). According to a midrash, this image was the idol that was buried by Jacob under the oak at Shechem (Gen. xxxv. 4; Tosafot Ḥul. l.c.). The first condition a Samaritan has to fulfil to be admitted into the fold of Judaism is to renounce the belief in the sanctity of Mount Gerizim (Masseket Kutim, end).


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By Ellysa Gonzalez
4-year-old Lubbock girl lives with Alstrom Syndrome
"Her actual eye balls were wiggling up and down," Johnston said. "We thought she was having a seizure so we went in to the doctor."
The doctor referred them to an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist advised the family to get an MRI and brace themselves for the result, which he believed to be a brain tumor, Johnston said, adding results showed there was nothing.
This was the beginning of a "diagnosis rigamaroo," she said.
'Diagnosis Rigamaroo'
"In two years of doctors thinking they knew what it was, there were nine different diagnosis possibilities," Johnston said. "More symptoms started to present themselves. She had a vision impairment. She had pneumonia for six months. They were just little pieces of the puzzle."
The next symptom was weight gain.
"Every time we went in, she was a pound heavier," Johnston said. "We couldn't explain how fast she was growing and putting on weight. Nobody knew what it was."
While they were shadowed in the mystery of her daughter's condition, Johnston said they began treating Bryce for the individual symptoms.
Doctors at the Retina Foundation in Dallas determined the cause of Bryce's problems to be genetic, Johnston said.
"Once they confirmed Cone Dystrophy, we knew she had a gene mutation that was at minimum causing her vision impairment," Johnston said.
She said the cones in the eyes are what allow people to see in the light.
"In bright light, it was like watching a blind person," Johnston said. "Inside with the lights low, she could get around."
Therapy, cognitive development
Before Bryce turned 2 years old, she began working with Amy Najjar, an occupational therapist for the Early Childhood Intervention Program in Lubbock and a family friend of the Johnstons.
Najjar's friendship with Cassie began about eight years ago when her daughter met Paityn, Bryce's now 10-year-old sister.
When the Johnstons moved away from Lubbock, Najjar said they lost touch. Communication between the families started again when they moved back and had Bryce.
"Their pediatrician recommended therapy for Bryce and recommended me to start seeing them," Najjar said. "It was difficult to see them having some problem with their little girl and not knowing how it all fit together."
Najjar said Bryce was withdrawn when they first started working together.
"In the beginning, throughout the time that I worked with her, she had lots of sensory issues, in terms of being overwhelmed, not being able to tolerate people," Najjar said. "We didn't know how much vision she did have."
Najjar had never worked with a child with a disability quite like Bryce's.
"There are lots of ways I've seen similar to her," she said. "But she had a different diagnosis. She had more medical things as well."
Bryce seemed to change when she started horse therapy, Najjar said.
"That's when we saw something really, really change within her," she said. "She loved the horses. She loved to ride. She started talking and communicating so much. Before, she wasn't communicating either. I can't say that was the one thing that did it all; we just saw so many changes. She was interactive. She wanted to play. She started lighting up. Her motor skills had started to get better. She really just started blossoming as a child."
When Bryce was 3 years old, she stopped seeing Najjar for therapy, but Cassie continued to give her updates on her daughter's situation.
Search for diagnosis
When Bryce was 2 years old, the Retina Foundation sent her blood samples to Germany for genetic testing.
After countless phone calls to the lab, Johnston said the family had heard nothing about it a year-and-a-half later.
She feverishly Googled Bryce's symptoms over and over to try to determine the cause of her daughter's problems, Johnston said.
"My family had a joke," Johnston said. "They said I'd be the first person to earn an at-home medical degree from Google."
Nothing she found ever quite fit her daughter's symptoms until she stumbled across Alstrom Syndrome by chance one Saturday night, she said
Alstrom Syndrome, a disease passed on by a mutated gene from both parents, affects many parts of the body — the heart, vision, hearing, liver, kidneys and more. The first symptoms of Alstrom Syndrome, which are usually noticed in babies, are extreme sensitivity to light and rapid movement of the eyes.
"I saw something I had never seen before," Johnston said. " … The timeline of presentation, how the different things presented to her … even a physical look. It was describing Bryce. I thought 'there's no way.' I tried to get more information on it. Everything I read more and more was describing Bryce."
Najjar said Johnston showed her the results of her search.
"She said 'doesn't this look like Bryce?' " Najjar said. "She showed me a picture. It was a picture of a different child, but it was her picture. It was her. I said 'yes, she really does.' … She said 'I really think Bryce might have this.' … I had never heard of this 'Alstrom Syndrome' before."
Johnston joined an exclusive chat group about the disease to see what other families were saying.
"You have to apply and be approved," Johnston said of the group. "The main question was 'do you have a child or family member with Alstrom Syndrome?' "
Johnston said she gave her reasoning and later received a phone call from Jan Marshall, genetics coordinator for Alstrom Syndrome studies at The Jackson laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, and chairwoman of the Alstrom Syndrome International Scientific Advisory Board. Marshall also works with the research team at The Jackson Laboratory that identified the gene responsible for Alstrom Syndrome.
Johnston explained Bryce's situation and told Marshall about waiting almost a year and a half for the results of her daughter's genetic testing.
"She said the Alstrom gene is a completely separate gene than any other genetic disease," Johnston said. "She said they probably were not looking at it. There are only about two labs in the world that can test that gene."
Two days later, Johnston received a Fed-Ex package with instructions on how to retrieve Bryce's blood work and send it to a different lab.
"We sent it off to Estonia," Johnston said. "About eight weeks later, Jan called. She said 'We found something.' Bryce's gene mutation. It just confirmed what we already knew."
The eight weeks waiting for the results were long for the Johnston family.
"She wanted to know an answer, but she really was scared," Najjar said of Cassie. "For her and her family, I know it was a mixed reaction. She knew what it was. She could be proactive and know what to do. At the same time, the prognosis was not good."
In March, they received the confirmation of what they already knew. At 31/2 years old, Bryce was diagnosed with Alstrom Syndrome.
Effects and history
Robert Marshall III, executive director of Alstrom Syndrome International and Jan Marshall's husband, said he remembers, quite vividly, the night about 21 years ago when his wife got home from work and told him about something she'd read about a rare disease called Alstrom Syndrome.
Jan was persistent about the subject and eventually devoted all her research to the cause of the syndrome and a finding a cure, Marshall said.
Marshall said he never knew much about genes. He said being married to a scientist helped expand his knowledge tremendously.
"It's always important for people to understand that we all have this gene," he said. "It's called the ALMS gene. We all carry it. What happens in our kids is that a mutated copy of this gene is passed down from mom and another is passed down from dad. It's an autosomal, recessive, inherited, genetic disorder."
Both parents have to pass down the gene for the child to get the disease, said Marshall. He said statistically, there is a one in four chance of both parents passing on a mutated copy of the Alstrom Syndrome gene to their children, but statistics rarely govern outcomes in life.
"The first and quite terrifying thing that parents usually find out is their kids have a vision problem developing," he said. "They find out that their child will ultimately go blind. Either just before or just after that, it's quite common for the child to have an episode of congestive heart failure."
Some of the children affected by the disease have to have heart transplants before their first birthday, Marshall said.
"As you progress along, your kid ends up getting type 2 diabetes," Marshall said. "They begin to battle obesity, which is an issue because if you have a plump kids, everybody assumes the parents are doing something wrong. When it's genetic, you can starve your kid and end up with an overweight child. Usually in early childhood, they begin to lose their hearing."
The syndrome adds complications like liver failure, pulmonary dysfunction and kidney failure, he said.
"You can treat some of them," he said. "The diabetes is treated the same way you would treat it in anyone. You can't make it go away."
There is not yet a cure, he said, and there are very limited treatments for the multiple organ failure. He said that is part of Jan's mission as a scientist.
"It is truly one of the meanest, scariest, nastiest genes out there," he said. "It's one of the rarest orphan disorders."
The disease is referred to as an "orphan disorder" because the majority of the money to fund research is from grassroots efforts because it's so rare, he said.
It's so rare that despite Lubbock's status as a medical hub in West Texas, the A-J could find no experts in the area to speak about Alstrom Syndrome.
Symptoms of Alstrom Syndrome were first reported in 1959 by Carl-Henry Alstrom, a Swedish physician describing "retinal degeneration, obesity, sensorineural hearing loss and diabetes" — just a few of the symptoms.
A list of symptoms can be found on the ASI website, said Marshall.
"They can suffer from some, most or all," he said. "Not everybody gets everything. Virtually nobody gets all of it. … Hearing and vision are pretty much written in stone. There are amazing exceptions. It's really frustrating that way."
The Jackson Laboratory website said there are about 800 patients with Alstrom Syndrome spread through 55 countries.
Not every state has somebody affected by the disorder, but the ones that do don't exceed more than six or seven people at most, said Marshall.
Bryce is one of four in Texas.
Benefit dinner
People with Alstrom Syndrome are often misdiagnosed, like Bryce, said Marshall.
On Feb. 16, the Johnston family will host an Alstrom Angels Benefit Dinner at Four Bar K to help raise money for research toward a cure for Bryce and others like her.
"We have been very blessed and fortunate to be able to be able to financially cover the things she needs," Johnston said.
The event begins at 7 p.m. and includes four live bands, a barbecue dinner, two raffles and a silent and live auction.
The goal is to raise $30,000. All proceeds will benefit ASI, Johnston said.
"For us, the best way for us to help Bryce is to further the research," she said. "A cure might not come in her lifetime, but if we can help kids no longer suffer from this one day, then it's worth it."
"We're pretty lucky to get this diagnosis so early," Johnston said. "A lot of people don't get diagnosed until they're in their late teens. For us to know this early, what we can do is try to do preventative treatments."
Because there is no cure, and few doctors qualified to work with Alstrom patients, Bryce's doctors just focus on managing her symptoms.
Johnston's family knows Bryce will eventually lose her vision and they're preparing her by teaching her to read Braille and how to walk with a stick, she said.
"We won't be able to stop anything from coming, but we can try to prolong it," she said. "We don't know for sure that it will prolong, but we have to at least try and hope that it will help. We hope that maybe it will prolong heart disease by months. It would be worth it. We're really watching for the medical symptoms."
By pre-treating the symptoms, Johnston hopes her child can grow up to be as independent as she wishes.
"We just have to accommodate and prepare for what's to come," she said. "I know my child is going to be completely blind. It's emotionally hard. We know the general time frame for when these things will happen."
The Johnstons try to keep Paityn informed about her younger sister's condition by sharing the information in an age-appropriate way, she said.
"Paityn is very attentive to Bryce," Johnston said. "Bryce can get overwhelmed very easily in certain situations. (Paityn) picks up on things that a typical 10-year-old would not. … She's a pretty amazing little girl. I hate it for her because siblings of children with disabilities have to grow up a lot faster."
Johnston and her husband act as the sibling support coordinators for ASI.
Aside from Bryce's disabilities, she is a typical 4-year-old, said her mother, who added some of Bryce's favorite things include riding horses, swimming and music. Bryce particularly loves songs by Adele, said Johnston.
"She loves music," Johnston said. "It breaks my heart with the hearing loss. Hopefully the hearing loss will be mild."
Bryce also loves playing on slides.
"If that child can find a slide, she will go down it," Johnston said. "God has blessed her with a lack of fear."
It's difficult to know what to expect, but she hopes to keep her family's life as normal as possible, said Johnston.
"We really feel like Bryce is such a blessing," she said. "She's such a little angel. She just touches something in everyone. She's so special and unique. I would have never chosen this for her, but we have been given her this way. Not only is she rare and unique in diagnosis, she really is a unique little person."


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One of three women kidnapped and repeatedly raped for a decade before their escape told her abductor Thursday that her life is just beginning while his is over now that he's about to be sentenced to life in prison.
Michelle Knight stood just feet away from Ariel Castro in a Cleveland courtroom, the first time she's been seen publicly since her rescue from the house where she was held captive.
"You took 11 years of my life away and I have got it back," she told Castro. "I spent 11 years in hell. Now you're hell is just beginning. I will overcome all this has happened, but you will face hell for eternity."
Knight, 32, did not face Castro as she spoke, but he glance toward her several times after she entered the courtroom. She was the first woman abducted Castro in 2002 after he lured her into his house with the promise of a puppy for her son.
Castro later made a rambling statement in which he blamed his sex addiction, his former wife and even the FBI for not thoroughly investigating the abductions. He apologized to his victims but also claimed most of the sex was consensual.
"These people are trying to paint me as a monster," he said. "I'm not a monster. I'm sick."
He also claimed the women lived a happy life with him. "We had a lot of harmony that went on in that home," he said.
Knight was the first woman abducted Castro in 2002 after he lured her into his house with the promise of a puppy for her son.
Castro has pleaded guilty to charges that he repeatedly raped Knight and two other victims, and also forced Knight to miscarry after he impregnated her.
Prosecutors detailed Ariel Castro's assaults and law enforcement witnesses described the jury-rigged prison he built in his ramshackle home. With the possibility of the death penalty for a forced miscarriage taken off the table, Castro stands to get life in prison plus 1,000 years.
FBI agent Andrew Burke said Castro turned his house into a prison by creating a makeshift alarm system and chaining them inside bolted bedrooms.
Bedroom windows were boarded shut from the inside with heavy closet doors and doorknobs had been removed and replaced with multiple locks, he said. The house was divided in ways to make it more secure and to hide the existence of rooms, he said.
Burke also testified that Castro would occasionally pay his victims after raping them. But he then would require them to pay him if they wanted something special from the store.
The letter written by Castro was found in his home and shown in court. It read "Confession and Details" at the top.
Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Detective Dave Jacobs said he talked with Castro a few days after the women escaped and that Castro said, "I knew what I did was wrong."
Early in the hearing, Castro tried to apologize to the victims, but after speaking with the judge said he would do that later in the proceeding.
A police officer who helped rescue the women said one was reluctant to come out of her room even when she saw the officers. They were scared even after they were taken out of the house and quickly began sharing details about the horrors they went through, saying that they had been starved and beaten.
"They were just shouting out a lot of things," said Cleveland police officer Barb Johnson. She described the women as thin, pale and scared.
Responding to questions from prosecutors, Cleveland police detective Andrew Harasimchuk said that the women all described a pattern of being physically, sexually and emotionally assaulted for years. He said all three women were abducted after Castro offered them a ride and that each was chained in his basement and sexually assaulted within a few hours of being kidnapped.
Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said in a sentencing memorandum filed Wednesday that Castro, who fed his captives only one meal a day, "admits his disgusting and inhuman conduct" but "remains remorseless for his actions."
The memorandum described a diary kept by one of the women.
"The entries speak of forced sexual conduct, of being locked in a dark room, of anticipating the next session of abuse, of the dreams of someday escaping and being reunited with family, of being chained to a wall, of being held like a prisoner of war … of being treated like an animal," it says.
The sentencing could take up to four hours, court officials said, with Castro, his attorneys, his victims and prosecution witnesses getting a chance to speak. The legal team representing the women's interests declined to comment on whether they would testify or send statements to the court.
Prosecutors used a model of the house where Castro, 53, imprisoned the women to present their case. They also showed photos taken from inside the disheveled home.
The women quickly escaped after Amanda Berry kicked out the door panel on May 6 and Castro was arrested within hours. The women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old.
Some horrific details of the women's ordeal had already emerged, including tales of being chained to poles in the basement or a bedroom heater or inside a van, with one woman forced to wear a motorcycle helmet while chained in the basement and, after she tried to escape, having a vacuum cord wrapped around her neck.
Castro repeatedly starved and beat one of the victims each time she was pregnant, forcing her to miscarry five times.
He forced the same woman on threat of death to safely deliver the child he fathered with another victim on Christmas Day 2006. The same day, prosecutors say, Castro raped the woman who helped deliver his daughter.
As part of his plea deal, Castro was to receive a sentence of life with no chance of parole for aggravated murder in the forced miscarriage. He would then receive 1,000 years for the kidnapping, rape, assault and other charges.
Berry, 27, made a surprise onstage appearance at a rap concert last weekend, and a second victim, Gina DeJesus, 23, has made a few televised comments. Knight, 32, appeared with Berry and DeJesus in a video in early July thanking the community for its support.
Knight, the first of three to disappear, also sent police a handwritten letter thanking them for their help collecting cards and gifts for the women. In the note, Knight told Second District Cmdr. Keith Sulzer, "Life is tough, but I'm tougher!"
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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A Plea from a Runner
We're very happy to have a guest post by our Running Sister, Brady today……we're not related, but we like to think of her as our online blogging sibling. Yeah, she's a runner…..but she's part of the family. What can I say?
A Plea from a Runner
By Brady Gervais
There are runners who also bike, cyclists who run, and I fall into neither category. Not really, anyway.
I'm a chronically injured runner who finds herself in the saddle out of necessity. When I need to stay fit while I'm off my feet, I turn to the bike. It's better than the alternative: swimming. My breast stroke is as good as a rock's.
But, I have a confession: I dislike biking.
A few weeks ago, I bought padded cycling shorts and then went for a ride on a warm fall day along the Chain of Lakes in south Minneapolis.
For about two hours, all I could think about was how much I'd rather be running instead of pedaling. I also thought about what I'd write for this post. I didn't want to disappoint Darryl.
During that ride, I didn't get an adrenaline rush or feel the sense of peace I derive from running. I couldn't be alone in my thoughts about life, work and love. I had to pay attention to the path. I had to be careful.
When I run, I remain alert, but I can get lost in my head and still feel safe.
Most of my exercise since Sept. 1 has been on a stationary bike. Some of you readers (cough, cough, @egggman) who know my frustrations with my latest injury, a tibial stress reaction, have nudged me to get outside and on a pair of wheels.
Another confession: I think I prefer using the stationary bike to riding outdoors.
Okay, pick your jaw up.
I sweat at the gym. I don't sweat much on the bike when I ride outdoors. I don't have to worry about getting hit by a car or running over a pedestrian. I can listen to music and let my mind wander.
I turn to you, dear reader, to help me love the bike. I have a year-old Trek hybrid bike that I've been on four times. Help me break it in.
Brady is a chronically injured runner who's addicted to the sport. She believes in using her passion to achieve good. In April, she'll run the Big Sur International Marathon for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in memory of her dad and in honor of her colleague. When she's not running – or biking because she's hurt – she covers crime for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can follow her on Twitter and at bradygervais.com.


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- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Public Works
- Sanitation Department
- City Depository
For the convenience of Deer Park residents, the Transfer Station, located at 610 Old Underwood Road, is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. There is no fee to use the facility; however, proof of residency must be provided in the form of a current utility bill and driver's license. You can discard old fencing materials, appliances, furniture, electronics, etc. The Transfer Station is unable to accept any large automotive parts, solvents, or flammable liquids. Lawnmowers and other similar items can be discarded if the gas tank is removed.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please call the Transfer Station at 281-478-7213.


text: Mayo: 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 1 garlic clove, minced Chicken: 1/4 cup egg substitute 3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco) 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups) 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls, split 12 (1/8-inch-thick) red onion slices 4 lettuce leaves1. To prepare mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients.2. To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano, and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.3. Place tortilla chips in a food processor; process 1 minute or until ground. Place ground chips in a shallow dish.4. Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 chicken cutlet; top with top halves of rolls.


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BANGALORE, INDIA: EBay Inc forecast robust growth in its mobile commerce segment as the online commerce and auction site expects more people to shop and pay via smartphones.
The company has been making a particularly strong push in mobile commerce and developing new applications for its e-commerce platforms.
In 2012, eBay expects to do $8 billion in mobile commerce retail volume, and its electronic payments system PayPal expects to process $7 billion in mobile payment volume.
In 2011, eBay mobile commerce generated $5 billion in retail volume, and PayPal mobile generated $4 billion in payment volume.
In January eBay gave a conservative quarterly sales forecast despite unveiling better-than-expected results, warning that a weak European economy may take the gloss off rip-roaring growth in online commerce.
The company also announced a new partnership with carrier three.co.uk and strategic agreements with merchants such as Yotel and entradas.com.