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11 Tips for Developing Mindful Attitudes
Mindfulness can sometimes appear relatively simple (as in 'just be'), but in fact it's not so easy. Creating a mindful practice that leads to a mindful life requires you to change certain attitudes and behaviour patterns that otherwise get in the way of you living mindfully.
To help, here are 11 tips to make you aware of these necessary mindful mindsets and to help support you in acquiring them.
Tiny baby-steps are better than leaping forwards and then straining yourself to the extent that you may give up mindfulness altogether.
Mindfulness: Being non-judgemental
From the word go people are judged and evaluated: good boy, good girl, and so on are the responses adults utter when children manage a new skill. Judging is deeply engrained into your psyche and so you may find that letting go of judgement does not come naturally at first.
Equally you may become aware, when you look out for it, that like most people you have likes and dislikes and that these preferences are almost etched onto your subconscious.
The good news is that your brain has the capacity to expand and create new neuro pathways as you start to think and experience things differently.
The initial step is to pay attention fully when your mind is judging something. You may be surprised how often you judge something as pleasant or unpleasant throughout the day. Your mind is so overactive judging everything that it can make you dizzy when you become really aware of it. Every sense checks and labels experiences: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching and thinking. What an exhausting effort!
Use a mindfulness diary and write down all the judging, evaluating, appraising and so on that goes on in your mind during the course of half an hour. Don't be shocked if you find hundreds of judgements going on. Afterwards, note down your any patterns in your likes or dislikes. For example, do you mainly judge yourself, other people, life, the government or activities you engage with, or just everything?
Judgement can and will happen while you're practising meditation. You may have thoughts along the lines of: 'Is this ever going to end?' or 'How can this stupid watching of my breath help my marriage?' Simply notice that all thoughts of this nature are fruitless judgements and evaluations. Just observe them for what they are and, as best as you can, let them pass by before returning to your practice. If you don't feed these thoughts, they're most likely to reduce over time.
Plus, don't think that you need certain conditions to be right so that you can practise successfully. Just accept, without judgement, however an exercise turns out. Even if you have to bring your attention back hundreds of times, congratulate yourself for noticing it and don't hold on to judgements about good or bad meditations.
Having patience in your mindfulness
Patience is a gift that some people are bestowed with, but most people have to develop it slowly. And today's quick-fix society doesn't help, with takeaway meals, movies on demand, one-hour home deliveries. This convenience is all very well, but it doesn't help you to develop patience.
The attitude to aim for is to allow mindful awareness to unfold moment by moment. Give yourself time and be assured that practising mindfulness in itself is practising kindness and patience. It's a wonderful tool to have when you're frightened, unwell or down in the dumps. In these difficult times, patience whispers into your ear that 'this too will pass'.
Plus, if you develop patience and allow life to present itself to you as it is, you start to observe the little miracles that life presents: a flower growing out of a small crack in the wall, a smile from an unknown passerby, a beautiful scent in the air, the wind gently caressing your face and many, many more.
Mindfully cultivating childlike curiosity
Consider choosing an afternoon at the weekend and noticing all the little wonders and surprises occurring, as if you're a child. If you have a child in your family, spend time with them and let them remind you: the miraculous taste of ice-cream or cake, the fun of blowing a dandelion and seeing all the tiny grey 'umbrellas' set off on their own, the joy of splashing yourself with water or licking out the chocolate residue from a bowl (using your fingers, of course!).
Think about what else makes you intensely curious. Perhaps try to listen to your favourite songs and see whether you notice something new about them: an instrument, a word you never noticed before, a change in rhythm.
Listen to Sir David Attenborough. Whenever he talks about an animal, he sounds as if he's the first person who's ever seen it. He's an excellent example of living with childlike curiosity.
This attitude of curiosity is essential when you practise the formal mindfulness meditations. An open (beginner's) mind helps you to notice that each meditation differs, that each moment is unique, and it helps to imprint this awareness onto your everyday thinking, too.
Trusting yourself and the science of mindfulness
'There's no right or wrong way of practising mindfulness, there's only your way.' This saying doesn't mean that you don't need good guidance and continuing development in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), but it does mean that ultimately you know best when to practise and how to arrange your practice room, for example. You intuitively feel when you need more time to engage with formal meditation or when you want a free-flowing day where you're mindful from dawn to dusk. In particular, trust in yourself that sooner or later you'll start noticing the benefits that MBCT brings to your life.
Respect what your body tells you, because this communication is ultimately of utmost importance when it comes to choosing the right posture of sitting or kneeling, for example. Don't be a martyr to your pain. Experiment with postures, mindful movement, time of the day, and so on, and see what serves you best.
The other aspect of trust refers to the teachings of mindfulness itself. Modern-day scientific research proves that mindfulness works, revealing how it changes your brain structurally and alters your biochemistry. Therefore, you can read scientific evidence to support your mindfulness journey. At its roots, however, is an ancient wisdom that has continued over several thousand years, teaching awareness, kindness and compassion to help you feel more truly alive.
Working on personal growth and non-striving
Since childhood you may well have learned to strive, to become educated and, if at all possible, be successful. Success is usually seen in monetary rewards or status. While you strive and think that this success is what's expected of you, you're also told to be better than others. Schools and universities offer scholarships to the best students, not to the ones who may need or deserve them most.
Now, within the context of mindful living and practice, let go of these goals and to not strive. Mindfulness promotes the idea of non-doing (of just being). Isn't that doing something? These requests can all seem rather confusing if not contradictory.
The most important aspect of non-striving is the awareness that you're already perfect and that some areas of your life just need a little polishing, that's all. Think of yourself as a diamond. Before it's polished it looks like ordinary stone, but afterwards it radiates in all the colours of the rainbow and is beautiful.
Accepting things just as they are
Acceptance indicates that you're prepared to do a reality check. Acknowledging that, for example, you drink too much, sleep too little, feel down in the dumps or bad about choices you've made, or are frightened by the noise of the wind, isn't an easy step to take. You can feel that if you accept things as they are, at least for now, you may never be able to change them, but as the song says, this 'ain't necessarily so'. In fact, the exact opposite may be the outcome when you've faced your demons.
If you look the pain, fear, sadness, disease or whatever directly in the eye, you may be able to find or see a way through it. You need to know what you're trying to cure or change before you can go about altering it. Sometimes, of course, acceptance means that a situation 'is what it is' and that you need to find out how to live around it, instead of letting it wear away the quality of your life completely.
Think about how much time you invest regularly in resisting what you don't like, at least mentally. It takes up a great deal of strength to continue to resist or experience aversion towards things that are what they are. You can use up all your energy in resistance, leaving nothing left to produce change.
Thus, accepting your situation just as it is (for now) can be the starting point for living your life truly and engaging in it with a sense of adventure.
Letting go of negative thoughts
When you start engaging with regular meditation you soon find that a number of thoughts keep coming back, and a number of discomforts arise.
As best as you can, simply take each moment as it comes, neither attaching to it too strongly nor pushing it away. You can always say to yourself: 'It's okay; I want to feel it, just as it is, knowing all the while that soon everything passes.'
Think of letting go as being like closing your mind when you're ready to fall asleep. You trust that you're going to wake up in the morning, that the world will still exist and that you can experience another day. To find peace and sleep, you need to let go of worries and ruminations; the same is true for meditation.
Committing to commitment and self-discipline
In some ways, developing mindfulness skills is like learning any other ability. Unless you practise regularly you won't achieve your goals or, for example, you won't have access to the emergency breathing space meditation when you really need it.
So, do mindfulness exercises and meditations, rain or shine; put a date and time for your practice in your diary. Perhaps practise with a buddy and join a group nearby, if at all possible. Explore all the other activities that you can reduce to give you time and space for MBCT.
Mindfulness: Maintaining compassion
You need deep compassion for your mindfulness experience ‒ first of all for others, who're most probably still doing their own thing even though you're becoming more astutely aware of flaws and selfish actions. If you notice other people being in a 'me, me, me' state, remember that they may not know any better.
You also require self-compassion, which means observing your own flaws and suffering. The more mindful you become, the more delicate your sensors are in picking up when hurt is in the air. Sometimes this pain is caused by your own self-critical attitude, and if you do something wrong or lose your temper, only the attitude of self-compassion can give you the humility to own the mistake and say sorry.
Try not to have double standards and be stricter with yourself than you are with a friend. All humans make mistakes.
Being in the now with your mindfulness
Every practice, formal meditation or everyday mindfulness experience reminds you over and over to connect to one thing: the present moment. Now, at this moment, your life is happening.
The past is no longer accessible by you and the future isn't here yet. Unless you focus on the here and now, you may miss out the miracle of life.
Observing a wider perspective
You're important and so is everybody else, including all beings and the planet. Mindfulness invites you to see that you're part of this bigger picture.
Mindful living in its larger perspective means bringing awareness to each moment and all that this moment encompasses: so if you see somebody who's hungry in this moment, you may respond to hunger (maybe buy a sandwich); if you see somebody hurt, you may call the ambulance; if you see an elderly or frail person on the bus or train, you may mindfully offer your seat.
Mindful living changes your life, and the lives of the people around you as well.


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Fab food and fine design came together at the annual International Risotto Festival, held at the Houston Design Center and chaired by interior-design diva Lucinda Loya and her energy-exec hubby Javier. Nearly 700 patrons strolled in and out of the venue—vino-in-hand!—perusing items on offer in various showrooms, while chefs from some of the city's top restaurants whipped up incredible dishes at stations outside. Chef Maurizio Ferrarese from the Four Seasons' Quattro restaurant won the day's competition with his Milanese risotto served with bone marrow in the hollowed-out bone. The Consul General of Italy, Fabrizio Nava, served as the honorary chair of the event, which marked its 10th anniversary during the festival. Proceeds benefited the Art Institute of Houston's scholarship fund.

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Billy Long lands for Expedition Denali
Mt. Hood in late fall with little snow. Clouds surround it's base as the last light hits it's west face.
Blue hour at Mont Sant Michele France as the ancient Monastery off the coast of Normandy, France reflects in low tide pools.
One of the more lovely falls in the Pacific Northwest.
Mount Fitz Roy Rises above this waterfall outside El Chalten, Argentina
Looking up within a slot canyon in Arizona. Patterns and shapes in the walls form abstract textures from deep shadow to it's sunlit rim high above.
Closeup of Manhattan Bridge cables with Empire State Buidling behind.
Close up of Torres del Paine National Park's mountains with clouds over the peaks.
Lago Torre is at the base of Patagonia's famed peak Cerro Torre in Patagonia near El Chaltan.
Sunset casts a golden glow on the Zion National Park's famous Patriarch peaks. They are dusted with snow and the trees below are yellow with fall color.
Dawn light on the crater of Mt. Meru from Rhino Point.
A climber stares out from the summit of Mt. Rainier
An Ibis spreads its wings as it lands on a rock in Lake Victoria
The sun sets over big surf on Kauai's wild, roadless west coast.
On the Oregon Side of the Columbia River Gorge, Oneonta Falls roars into it's narrow gorge through mist and sunbeams.
Cormorants in flight and perched on pilings along the Columbia River on a foggy morning at Sauvie Island, Oregon.
San Deigo's Sunset Cliffs just after Sunset
Perfect ocean scene of white sand, tranquil blue water and puffy clouds in blue sky.
A Pacific Northwest Coast Icon.


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'Extreme Makeover' home gets huge price cut
High taxes force Kemah family to sell
A Kemah family who received an Extreme Makeover home after Hurricane Ike forced them to live in a FEMA trailer is being forced to sell the home at a steep discount because of increasing property taxes.
The Beach family, who famously adopted and fostered over 85 children, was chosen as beneficiaries by the TV show back in 2010.
They have been trying to sell the home since February 2013. The price tag started at $700,000 and is now down to $535,000.
They say they've had to sell because the upkeep of the house is just too much now that many of their children have grown up and moved away.
"It is a big decision," said Larry Beach, who has four children with his wife, Melissa, as well as 13 they adopted and dozens more they've fostered. "But it's costing us 12-to 15-hundred dollars a month just in taxes and insurance. It's costing us more to live here than it would to sell it."
The two-story house, a few blocks from the Kemah boardwalk, has eight bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a game room and media room and is set on a one-acre plot. The house was essentially gifted to them, as materials and labor were donated by local businesses.
"We are torn. The community put a lot into this house and that's really the conflict we have struggled with," said Beach. "A lot of people volunteered and gave for our house and family. After months of talking about, it we made the decision that it doesn't really do any good to keep digging a hole for ourselves."
Feel-good makeover shows like Extreme Makeover are ratings winners for the networks, but the cost of the upkeep of these huge houses has proved an issue for some families.
In 2009, CBS featured six families who said they benefited initially but later found themselves unable to afford high taxes and maintenance bills. Some also had taken out mortgages against the properties, which increased costs.
The Beach family said they were very happy with ABC, but that circumstances conspired against them.
When their 2-year-old daughter, Mercy, died from a seizure shortly after the house was finished, they no longer wanted to continue fostering children. The large house gradually became unnecessary as their children started to leave the nest.
Real estate agent Alana Croker, who is managing the sale, said they have had some interest in the property, but mostly people decide it is too big.
"It is a unique home and will take a unique person to buy it," Croker said. "It may suit a commercial venture like an adult living facility or even a church retreat rather than a family."
One of the Beach's eldest sons said it will be sad for the family to let it go.
"For me, it's like going back to a vacation home and it's been great for my parents to have somewhere where they can entertain friends," Michael Beach, 25, said. "It will be sad to let it go, there are so many memories there, especially for my mom."


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We knew it was going to happen eventually.
Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will miss the remainder of the season with a torn hip labrum, dooming his candidacy for National League Most Valuable Player and putting a dour punctuation note on what has been a Rockies season ruined by injury and marred by ugly spats between ownership, their own front office, Colorado baseball fans and Tulowitzki himself.
First, the facts: Tulowitzki's .340/.432/.603 1.075 OPS (174 OPS+) line leads the NL in every respect, even though it had already been passed by in plate appearances (only 375) by Andrew McCutchen, Giancarlo Stanton, Yasiel Puig and the other top hitters of the National League well before Wednesday's news. In addition, Tulowitzki is either the best everyday defensive shortstop in baseball or the second best, depending on your feelings on Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves (I prefer Tulowitzki). Should he have stayed healthy, the only position player who could have credibly challenged him for an MVP award based purely on performance was some theoretical version of Mike Trout who played baseball in the NL. While Tulowitzki will still get some votes come the end of the year, he was already on thin ice with the Rockies out of playoff contention; McCutchen, Puig, and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw now become the de facto frontrunners.
The bigger conversation has nothing to do with a personal award for the 2014 season, of course, or with the fate of the Rockies this season -- or even next. As gets noted in every single one of these articles -- and will continue to be noted in every single one of these articles for the next couple years -- the best shortstop in baseball is still due a whole lot of money for a large number of years: another $114 million for his age-30 through age-35 seasons, then a $4 million buyout on a $15 million team option for his age-36 season in 2021. That's a fair contract for a guy with Tulowitzki's production, if a bit guilty of the free agent contract sin of paying for production on the front end with extra years and dollars on the backend. The problem, though, is that Tulowitzki has to be healthy to deliver that production, and recently that's been a problem for him.
This year will be the 5th season of the last 7 in which Tulowitzki has failed to play over 130 games despite being the Rockies' full-time shortstop. The closest he's come in any of the past three seasons was last year's 126 games, which was preceded by the 47-game 2012. In 2014 he made it to 91 games before his body gave out. Tulowitzki is getting older, and age rarely leads to better health. There have been edge cases like recently-retired Eric Chavez, Oakland's third base marvel whose sudden turn for the injury-prone in 2007 morphed what should have been one of the best contracts of Billy Beane's early tenure into the worst. When Chavez found a second life with New York, he did so only for a little while, and as a part-time player in a league with a DH rule -- and even then, he was a healthier (if not more productive) player than Tulowitzki was before his string of injuries set in. Players don't generally stop getting hurt less as they age.
What does this mean for the Rockies? Well, they probably should have dealt him earlier this summer if there had been a massive market for him, but it's not clear that there was. The sort of prospects that 2014 Troy Tulowitzki should have commanded -- health questions and all -- are the sort of prospects that just don't get put on the table very much these days. The St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles were two contending teams that definitely had the pieces to pick him up, but there's no sign that there was any will to spend that prospect capital in either organization. The New York Mets had some sort of passing interest in Tulowitzki as a long-term option -- and let's be honest, any time you're dealing for a contract with six-plus years left on it, it shouldn't really matter too much whether you're a competing team this year -- but that went nowhere either.
That's what remains frustrating about an elite player with serious injury concerns: The problem isn't that his production will fall off over the course of his contract, it's that it'll suddenly start and stop and start again, like a car with a bad fuel injector. And while projection systems for on-field performance remain questionable for pinpoint accuracy, we've got far more data to go on for that than we do for projecting injuries. The best thing the Rockies can do, assuming Tulowitzki is amenable, is hold onto him and try again next year, with the hopes that 2015 will be one of the seasons in which he can manage at least 120+ games.
But we've reached the point where Colorado can no longer plan on him being healthy. The question next year, just like the question this year, wasn't if Troy Tulowitzki was going to get injured again; it's when.


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Forum: Hosting Security and Technology
Members can find and share tips related to web hosting security under this forum. They are encouraged to share their experience with fellow members so that everyone gets an alert about the tactics hackers use to break in to a server, so that it can be prevented to the most possible extent. Latest technological trends related to hosting can also be discussed here.


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OCEAN CITY — A one-time offer to 84 town employees could see many of them opting for retirement as early as late April in some cases, and in turn, helping the town save almost $1 million in payroll this year.
At the end of a City Council work session on Tuesday, City Manager Dennis Dare outlined his proposal of a retirement incentive plan for 84 of the town's 600-plus employees, which if done, would be another step in "right-sizing" the town's workforce and be another feather in the cap in Dare's cost saving initiative, which he has been putting into action since October 2008.
Dare's plan would be in three categories – one for public safety workers who have served the town for more than 30 years and are over the age of 55; one for general employees with the same age and employment tenure; and one for employees over the age of 65 but haven't accrued 30 years of service to the town.
In all three cases, the town would give half of the annual salary as the incentive for early retirement for the employees who would, in turn, start collecting their pensions after their retirement.
"This proposal is a retirement incentive plan, not an early retirement proposal, and I have to stress that this is a one-time offer for those who have earned their pension and are eligible to retire so we can reduce our workforce voluntarily," said Dare.
Dare noted that although many in the town's workforce are eligible to retire but have chosen to continue to work, his projections for the next few years has created the necessity to consider this move, which hasn't been offered to town employees in over two decades.
Since the town has instilled the hiring freeze, there are currently 54 positions that sit vacant in the town of Ocean City, or 9 percent of the workforce, according to Dare.
"We basically have 91 percent of the workforce doing 100 percent of the work," said Dare. "This gives us an opportunity to reorganize how and what we provide in the resort, and this proposal would allow us certain things, like payroll savings, but we will lose senior personnel, lots of experience and institutional knowledge."
The Mayor and City Council thought Dare's plan was good one and voted unanimously to allow the proposal to move forward and either eliminate positions or reconsolidate the structure of town government by promoting people to vacant positions internally.
"In these financial times, if your workforce gets too big, instead of dangling a very nice carrot like this retirement incentive, we might have to end up using the stick," said Dare. "When we looked at the snapshot in September and we saw real estate values continue to decline, and the stock market going back down this week, it doesn't give me a lot of hope that there's going to be a quick turnaround."
The real estate information that apparently concerned Dare enough to make this proposal was a statistic of property settlements in the resort during September 2009, which saw 88 properties sold and settled on in Ocean City. However, those properties had declined in value 13 percent after the most recent assessments, and sold for an additional 6 percent less than the lower assessment.
Since 58 percent of the town's budget is made up of property tax revenue, Dare felt this program was prudent to save costs going into the upcoming budget. Some officials have conceded privately it will be tough to hold the tax rate for residents at 39.5 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
The public safety workers eligible for this program would have to choose to sign up for it by June 30, but would have to retire by Oct. 31, so that the town would not be depleted during the busy season.
As for general employees, the proposal would ask for a decision by March 31 and a retirement by April 30.
For the employees eligible for the program that are over 65 but haven't worked more than 30 years, they will receive their pension, but their benefit will be prorated according to number of years worked, Dare said.
"This is a good plan", said Councilman Jim Hall. "I support this 100 percent."
Although most estimations from town officials seem to believe that the percentage of eligible employees that will actually sign up for the program is probably less than half, and more than likely close to 25 percent, Public Works Director Hal Adkins is worried the town might be backing the town's workforce up against a wall as far as operational efficiency goes.
"There are 31 of my staff stretched out in the entire public works division that are eligible for this," said Adkins. "So, I'm going to have to restructure our departments again and although I believe that rightsizing is fine, there's going to come a point where we must pause and realize that we are quickly approaching a level in which our workforce is so depleted that we can't continue to provide the same level of services that the town's residents and visitors are used to. Honestly, we are quickly approaching that level."
Adkins said that almost half of the 54 current vacant positions, as a result of the hiring freeze, are in his department, and his crews could potentially be the hardest hit from a manpower standpoint with this retirement incentive plan.
"I do know that some of the vital positions will be filled, and others will be eliminated, but I guess we are going to have to wait and see who signs up for it to see how this is really going to effect operations," Adkins said.
Last year, Dare's cost-cutting and revenue enhancements helped the town end the fiscal year with a $2.7 million surplus. This year, with much of that $2.7 million being one-time cuts, Dare feels that the large sum of money that could be saved with this program could fill the void.
"We are looking at $1 million in savings the first year, and that includes payment of incentives," said Dare. "The second and subsequent years, you are probably looking at double that."
Finance Administrator Martha Lucey is expected to be sitting down with all 84 candidates for the retirement incentive program in the next few weeks to thoroughly explain the program.
"People have been asking us for years if we would consider doing a retirement incentive program and for years we've always said no. Well this is their one-time chance," Dare said.


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Item Description
History of Kanzas, also, Information Regarding Routes, Laws, etc.
Author: Walter, George
Date: 1855
This history was written by George Walter, agent for the New York Kanzas League. The purpose of the League was to assist individuals and families to emigrate to Kansas and help provides reduced prices and other assistance. The office of the New York Kanzas League was located on the 3rd floor of No. 110 Broadway, New York City. Walter provided the information he thought emigrants to Kansas would need including descriptions of the situation in the territory, its climate, soil, rivers, and native products. He also gave information about industry in Kansas Territory, particularly the milling industry. He provided information on routes and supplies needed as well as a copy of the reemption law. The text of the Bill to organize the territories of Kansas and Nebraska was included on pages 24 through 48 of the pamphlet.
Location of Original: KSHS Call Number: CK 978.1 N42
Item Number: 102640 Number of images: 57
Keywords: Emigrant aid companies; Emigrant aid companies - Free state; Free state cause; Hyatt, Thaddeus; Kansas Nebraska Act; Land acquisition; Landscape; New York; Preemption law United States; Settlement
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Mactan Cebu
Copra is the island's main and biggest produce, but having the sweetest lanzones makes Camiguin a destination by itself. Celebrated every 3rd week of October, the Lanzones Festival is a… Read More
Like a love that's dawning, autumn is a season that emanates a striking drama. As the weather turns cold, each leaf changes color. Then just before the outset of winter,… Read More
I love Japan! It is in fact one of my personal favorite foreign travel destinations. I have been there twice, for spring and autumn, and can't wait for my next… Read More
Well, it's obvious. I love resort shirts! A tropical printed shirt and jeans combo is one of the easiest and most comfortable personal daily ensembles. Many have asked what brand… Read More
This has been my third annual 3-day juice detox, and every time I do juice detox, it takes inches off my belly, cuts a few kilos off my body weight in as short as three days and… Read More
On its sixth run, Pop District Bazaar celebrates its second birthday with the first ever Big Anniversary Sale. Happening this 16-17 September 2017, the two-day event will highlight different fashion,… Read More
About Me
Hi, my name is Doyzkie Buenaviaje. I am a travel and life+style blogger. I am also the founder and current president of iLearners Inc., a nonprofit organization that aims to zero in rural illiteracy. This blog page is where I will be sharing most of my adventures. Welcome to my blog!Read More
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To (Ironically) Avoid Sequestration, Congress Could Declare War
The Senate is back in session this week as the battle over military spending, and the prospect of sequestration, continues to sizzle. Last Friday the Office of Management and Budget concluded that war funding—also known as Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO)—would not be exempted from sequestration, contradicting the Pentagon's earlier claims. Predictably, this has angered the GOP and provided fodder for those who oppose military spending cuts on any grounds.
But war funding—$88.5 billion for FY 2013—should never have been considered separate from military spending. This is a practice, gradually accepted in the past 10-15 years, that distorts the size of the defense budget, making it appear smaller. It provides the illusion that Congress and the current administration are fiscally responsible.
The irony of current flap over OMB's ruling is that Congress could undo sequestration if it simply declared war. In today's Cato podcast, Benjamin Friedman, research fellow for defense and homeland security studies, explains that the federal code, going back to the 1980s, holds that a declaration of war will reverse sequestration. But Congress doesn't declare war anymore; members routinely ignore their constitutionally mandated obligation. Those who are the most vocal opponents of sequestration—Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) and others—have a tool at their disposal that they will never consider.
Listen to the podcast below to hear Friedman provide a primer on the battle over war funding (OCO), sequestration, and the defense budget bills.


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Maine Hands-Free Driving Laws and Requirements
According to statistics 50% of all drivers between 18 and 24 admit to texting while driving and 4 out of 5 accidents can be attributed to distracted drivers. It is a well-known fact that texting and driving, makes someone 23% more likely to be involved in an accident.
Currently, there are six states that have banned the use of handheld cell phones while driving.
No state has passed a law completely banning cell phone use for all drivers, however many do ban cell phones for certain types of drivers.
There are currently 25 states that have complete or partial bans on text messaging while driving.
The simplest advice is to not use a cell phone while driving. Being caught means a driver could face fines and even jail time, particularly if he or she causes an accident due to their distracted driving.
Maine Cell Phone/Texting Laws*
Use the following convenient table to see what and what isn't permitted in Maine.
|All Cell Phones
|Text Messaging
|School Bus Drivers
|New Drivers
|All Drivers
|School Bus Drivers
|New Drivers
|No Ban
|No Ban
|18 years old or younger
|No Ban
|18 years old or younger
|No Ban
*Maine has a distracted driver law.


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Illium - Liara: System Hacking part 1
Side Quests - Illium Side Quests - Illium - Liara: System Hacking part 1
Whenever you find yourself on Illium and begin to explore, you'll find an old friend of yours, the Asari named Liara T'Soni (her location, Liara's Office, is marked on the map of the spaceport). Liara is out of the war business, instead focusing all of her attention these past couple of years on information. As one of the most valuable and trusted information brokers on Illium, Liara has made quite the name for herself, and in the process has made plenty of money (and enemies) as well. Her current high-profile project has her after some information (and, more notably, a person) of interest. She refuses to speak with you at length about anything that's going on here until you help her out. Please keep in mind that the beginning of this side quest can only net you Renegade points. Paragons may want to stay away entirely, but that's up to you. It should be said that you can gain Paragon points later, thus negating any Renegade points you earned that you may not have wanted.
So, what does Liara want from you? She wants you to hack a series of terminals that will reveal information both valuable and precious to her. As Liara explains to you, each terminal you hack will reveal another terminal, and it's the latter terminal in the three sets of computers that are really important, since the second terminal will actually give you the information she wants. All three terminals are located in the far southern end of the spaceport. So, on your map, you'll want to look around the Tracking Office, Baria Frontiers, Memories of Illium, and Gateway Personal Defense. For each of the three terminals you find, another terminal will pop up somewhere else nearby (a mirror terminal, if you will). A timer will then appear on-screen, along with an all-important distance meter, which will let you know if you're getting closer or further away from the mirror terminal you need to find. Once you've successfully hacked all three terminals and found the mirror terminal for each, you can return to Liara to deliver the good news.
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LOS ANGELES — NASA's Opportunity had a light day Wednesday, sending scientists information about a rock it has been probing and then taking a nap to power up its batteries.
The six-wheeled rover has been taking daytime naps to recharge because it is working night shifts to study a rock called "El Capitan." Because a Martian winter is beginning, the days are getting shorter, and less sunlight is hitting the solar panels to recharge the robot's batteries.
Scientists are planning to save energy by uploading software in the next month that will stop the robot from drawing on its batteries at night.
Currently, a set of electronics stays on at night even when the robot's main computer goes to sleep. The electronics include an alarm clock that makes Opportunity power up in the morning. But Cook said Opportunity could also be awakened by sunlight activating its solar panels.
"It turns out that besides having the alarm clock, it also can wake up when the sun comes up," Cook said in a conference call Wednesday.
Opportunity has been using its Mössbauer spectrometer at night to study a rock called "El Capitan." The German-built instrument, which measures the composition and abundance of iron-bearing minerals, keeps gathering data at night when the computer is powered down.
Scientists involved in the $820 million Mars mission are studying "El Capitan" to examine how the rock formed. They hope the rover mission can uncover evidence of a watery, life-supporting past for the Red Planet.
On the other side of Mars, Opportunity's twin rover, Spirit, moved about 10 feet (3 meters) closer to a crater called "Bonneville," nearly 300 feet (900 meters) away. They expect the rover to reach its rim and peer into it for the first time in mid-March.
© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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31 October 2012
On Book Covers and Crème Brûlée
7 comments:
- Rosa's Yummy Yums said...
So true! Mostly it works, but sometimes we it doesn't...
A delicious crème brûlée. I bet it tastes as good as it looks!
- 31 October, 2012 13:50
- Cicero Sings said...
Good to see you post. Hope your family is safe and well.
Yes we do judge by the cover and often do miss some real gems as well - speaking now of people!
I love creme brule even better but either one slides down so smooth after a full meal.
- 31 October, 2012 15:09
- Cicero Sings said...
Achhh, i meant creme caramel, i like creme caramel even better. I really must make some soon
- 31 October, 2012 15:10
- Julie said...
My favorite go to dessert. Looks beautiful.
- 01 November, 2012 02:28
- JJ said...
I saw that torch on your kitchen counter and wondered when you would you use it...I'm glad it finally got inaugurated:-)
- 01 November, 2012 23:20
Once you've made it, crème brûlée never seems intimidating again. Glad you've gotten past the cover! ;)
- 28 November, 2012 13:54
- Kristen - Dine & Dish said...
Was just thinking about you today! Just wanted to say hello - hope you are doing well :)
- 23 February, 2013 02:15


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Selling Fake Maple Syrup Could Soon Be a Federal Felony
Wait! Before you pour maple syrup on your evening pancake stack: Are you sure that's real maple syrup and not some poisonous impostor? A Vermont senator wants to make selling fake syrup a felony, punishable by hard prison time.
Did you know America is plagued by a rash of fraudulent maple syrup manufacturers? So much so that Senator Patrick Leahy just introduced legislation to make selling fraudulent maple syrup a federal felony punishable by five years in prison. According to a statement posted to Leahy's website:
The MAPLE Act creates a felony offense carrying a five-year maximum penalty for fraudulently selling maple syrup that is not, in fact, maple syrup. Under current law, the sale of this fraudulent maple syrup is only a misdemeanor offense carrying only on a one-year penalty.
"Schemers should not easily be able to sully the seal of quality that is associated with genuine Vermont maple syrup," Leahy continued.
Honestly? Five years in prison is too good for these bastards. I grew up in Vermont and like all Vermonters have strong feelings about the sweet nectar that flows each spring from the sturdy maple. I'd rather drink Draino than that fake Mrs. Butterworth's bullshit that, through some weird stomach mutation, you flatlanders are able to digest. (Anyone not from Vermont is a "flatlander.") The penalty for selling fake maple syrup should be death. Death by being slowly lowered into a boiling vat of pure, A-grade Vermont Pure Maple Syrup. [LAT, image via AP]


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Admission Criteria for Inpatient Rehabilitation
Inpatient rehabilitation is the highest, most intense level of post-acute care for rehabilitation. But when is a stay in an acute rehabilitation hospital the appropriate level of care? Who decides?
Often, it is the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) or other private insurance companies that dictate the level of care. They provide admission criteria for inpatient rehabilitation facilities, like Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, to follow.
Under CMS guidelines, inpatient admission to a rehabilitation hospital must be "reasonable and necessary." The potential patient must:
- Require multiple therapy disciplines, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and/or speech therapy
- Require a daily intensive rehabilitation program (3 or more hours, 5 days a week)
- Be able to actively participate in the program
- Require the supervision of a physician who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation
- Be expected to make measurable improvement
According to Medicare policy, admission to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital is appropriate for patients who have complex nursing, medical management and rehabilitation needs. These patients can benefit the most from:
Intensive Rehabilitation
- Therapy 7 days a week, 3 or more hours for 5 days
- Individualized therapy plans
Specialized Staff and Resources
- An expert team of clinicians, including physicians, therapists and nurses, who have specialized training and/or certifications in the rehabilitation of orthopedic injuries, stroke, brain injury and spinal cord injury
- Additional staff on duty to meet patient needs, including internal medicine physicians
- Rehabilitation technology and equipment, including state-of-the-art telemedicine (real-time, interactive communication between the patient and off-site physicians and clinicians)
For more information regarding inpatient admissions,
please reach out to Sue Wagner at 610-776-3242 or firstname.lastname@example.com, or contact us.


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Dr. Graves: My dear Doctors it is indeed a pleasure to welcome you here at the beginning of your practice. This letter states that in this group that there are three of you who are not overly bright but were graduated because had been in the senior class, too many years. Your identity I will keep secret and will disclose to no one on one condition, that you try hard and forever devote your lives to the glorious cause of duty and Humanity!
Moe, Larry & Curley: We Will!
The Three Stooges Men in Black 1934
One of the oldest jokes in the book goes like this:
What do you call the person who finishes last in his class in medical school?
That's still true but if you are a dunce of a doctor today is a tough time for you. With malpractice laws and insurance these days and the plethora of media not to mention a litigious society a doctor who is prone to making mistakes would seem to have dim prospects..
But if you are not inclined toward duty and humanity Robert Stacy McCain and Jeff Quinton report there IS an option for you: Late Term Abortionist in Maryland!
Why, because if you accidentally kill somebody nobody will notice:
Dr. LeRoy Carhart is one of America's most notorious abortionists. He specializes in late-term abortion and, unless you actually know what's involved in it, you cannot possibly imagine what a gruesome atrocity the bland phrase "late-term abortion" describes. Now, according to a report by Operation Rescue, a 29-year-old woman has died after Carhart performed such an atrocity at a Maryland clinic:
Now you would think that a woman dead by one of the most notorious doctors in the country might be newsworthy. Stacy McCain certainly thought so:
Carhart is a celebrity of the pro-abortion movement. Described as "one of the few doctors in the U.S. to openly perform late-term abortions," Carhart was an associate of Dr. George Tiller, who was assassinated in 2009. Michael Martelli of the Maryland Coalition for Life notes that Carhart "was hailed as a 'hero' in the film 'After Tiller' at the recent Sundance Film Festival." Now that a 29-year-old woman has reportedly died as a result of Carhart's butchery, however, it seems that no major news organization considers him newsworthy.
Neither the Washington Post nor the Baltimore Sun has yet reported on this woman's death in Maryland, despite the fact that there was an 11 a.m. press conference today in front of the Germantown clinic. The story is also being ignored by the Associated Press, USA Today, the New York Times, and television news networks. As of 1:30 p.m. Friday, the largest organizations reporting the story were WorldNetDaily and LifeNews.com.
However the rest of the media would seem to disagree. That's should be reassuring to every quack and slacker in the country. Even better if anyone in the media does bother to catch up and do the story, it will be Saturday in the metro section on the day of the biggest blizzard in 30 years. McCain again:
OK, it's only a 350-word item in the Metro section, but it's something. Still nothing from the Baltimore Sun, the New York Times, USA Today or the Associated Press, but at least now one major news organization has grudgingly acknowledged that a 29-year-old woman has died after being treated at the clinic where "Doctor Death" was willing to perform an abortion in the 33rd week of pregnancy.
Yes, I said the 33rd week – eight months pregnant — which is actually legal in Maryland.
So if YOU are at the bottom of your medical class and worried that you can't find any kind of practice, Maryland wants YOU to perform late-term abortions. And if you screw up, don't worry, just think. if the MSM will bend over backwards to avoid reporting on the death of a 29-year-old woman from a botched abortion by a notorious physician, you should have no trouble covering up almost any mistake or injury you inflict on any woman.
One caveat, Doctors who have decided to devote their lives to the glorious cause of Duty & Humanity need not apply.


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What is Colonialism and its Aftermath?
Colonialism and Its Aftermath (CAIA) is an interdisciplinary research centre based at the University of Tasmania. It provides a forum for teaching, research, and scholarship in the fields of colonial and postcolonial studies, and facilitates interaction with the local community as well as with heritage and tourism industries.
Conference: Reflections on the commemoration of World War One
22-23 November 2018, Christchurch
Canterbury 100 is hosting a conference on 22-23 November 2018 which looks at how WWI has been commemorated during the centenary period. Three wonderful keynote speakers have been confirmed: Professor Joy Damousi (Australia), Dr Tim Cook (Canada) and Dr Santanu Das (UK).
The call for papers is now open.
See the Conference website for more information.


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A Taste of the New Food at the US Open
"Global flavors and local ingredients."
That's the theme of this year's food offered at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Following in the footsteps of Yankee Stadium and Citi Field's new high-end culinary options, this year's US Open is selling dishes by celebrity chefs, sushi, and other items beyond the typical hot dogs.
I got a chance to meet the chefs last week for a preview of the menu, for which "40% of all produce is sourced from local and regional farms." The Open's food comes by way of four restaurants, a wine bar, and more casual "food village." Take a look at the slideshow for dishes from David Burke, Tony Mantuano, and Masaharu Morimoto, and more. You can read more about the food at the Open on their website.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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At EY we have one strong global leadership team that sets one single global strategy and agenda.
To ensure we are efficient and effective, we have organized our legal entities into 28 similarly sized business units in terms of both people and revenues. These business units, almost all of which are purposely not single countries, are grouped into four geographic Areas:
Each business unit's leadership team works directly with their Area and global leaders to ensure flawless execution. This structure is streamlined – it allows us to make decisions quickly, and ensures that we execute our strategy and provide high-quality service wherever in the world our clients do business.
Our Global Executive
The Global Executive brings together the three dimensions of EY:
It is chaired by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and includes:


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gregg brauchte ein neues Logo Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 95 Designs von 39 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
We are a new company that will manufacturer signs of every conceivable type for both businesses and consumers, coast to coast throughout North America. To see the vast array of products we'll offer, see another company at http://www.texascustomsigns.com (a different company, not ours).
EPIC Signs International
When most people think of sign companies, they think of small shops in retail strip malls that primarily create paper, plastic and vinyl signs and banners for the CONSUMER market. Names like Fast Signs, Signs By Tomorrow, Signs and More, Behold Signs and others. Their names and logos also communicate speed and economy.
We can make those signs as well, But we will have an office or light industrial park presence (not retail) and want to appeal mostly to businesses (B2B). Thus the name of our company: EPIC (to suggest the scope/size of our products), SIGNS (to identify of business, and INTERNATIONAL (to reflect the broad geography we will serve).
We will manufacture and install both indoor and outdoor signs and seasonal and permanent signs of every conceivable type: paper, plastic, vinyl, wood, foam, stone, monument, electrical...even vehicle wraps. Our clients will include virtually any and every business or organization that uses signs,
Our new logo will be used in both print and web
- You may include graphic elements OR opt to design using just the company name - EPIC Signs International.
- You can use the "ESI" acronym, but all 3 words must also appear in the logo.
- We'll need 3 versions of the finished design: full color, 2-color, and B/W
- We don't have a strong preference for certain colors.
- You might check the Yellow Pages and/or Google "Sign Companies" to see what others are doing.
- Think of EPIC as meaning: 1. "heroic; majestic; impressively great. Example: the EPIC events of the war." 2. "unusually great size or extent. Example: a crime wave of EPIC proportions."
- Hard to say what we don't want until we see it! If your design(s) reflect the type of company image we've described above, we're sure it will be great!
Finden Sie heraus, wie ein Designwettbewerb funktioniert, oder lernen Sie mehr über unsere Logo-Design-Angebote.


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WALTHAM, Mass. - On April 30, the Brandeis University Department of Athletics held its annual end-of-year dinner and handed out its departmental awards.
Athletic Directors Awards are presented to student-athletes who have displayed general excellence in representing Brandeis Athletics. They were awarded to men's basketball player Kevin Olson of Rockport, Mass., and women's volleyball player Lorraine Wingenbach of Buffalo, N.Y. Olson, a guard, was recognized as the winningest senior in the history of the men's basketball team, having helped the squad to three straight NCAA Division III tournament appearances, including a berth in the Elite Eight as a junior. This season, he led all of Division III in 3-point shooting percentage at 58.9 percent, despite the NCAA having moved the line back by a foot entering the season.
Wingenbach, an outside hitter became the University's first-ever volleyball All-American as a junior. A two-time All-University Athletic Association selection, she is Brandeis's all-time leader in kills and second in digs and service aces. Wingenbach helped the Judges win back-to-back ECAC Division III New England titles in her sophomore and junior seasons.
The Charles Napoli '58 Scholar-Athlete Award, given to an outstanding student-athlete who has excelled in the classroom and in the athletic arena, was presented to men's fencer Will Friedman of Newton, Mass. Friedman, competing in foil, became just the second men's fencer in Brandeis history to qualify for the NCAA Championships four straight years. He was an All-American as a junior, when he finished seventh in the nation. Friedman helped the Judges to back-to-back Northeast Fencing Conference championships, including a perfect 10-0 NFC record as a senior. Friedman carried a 3.75 grade-point average as a double major in philosophy and politics and will attend law school in the fall.
The Morry Stein Award of Valor, given to a student-athlete who has demonstrated courage both on and off the playing fields and/or intervened to better the lives of others, was presented to Katy Agule of Acton, Mass. Agule, a team captain of the women's cross country and track and field teams, earned All-University Athletic Association honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 1,500-meter run during the outdoor season. She also served as vice-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was one of the founders of the Brandeis chapter of Colleges Against Cancer. Agule, who served as the ceremony committee chair for the University's inaugural Relay For Life in 2008 and was the overall co-chair in 2009, interned with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network office in Washington, D.C., in 2008.
The Morris Sepinuck Sportsmanship Award, given to the varsity athlete who not only displays outstanding sportsmanship but also makes a significant contribution to the athletic program and to campus life at Brandeis, was presented to women's basketball player Cassidy Dadaos of Healdsburg, Calif. Dadaos, a forward for the team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III tournament in 2009, was a two-time team captain in a stretch in which the Judges never missed the NCAAs. She also earned two Academic All-UAA selections, served as a facility manager for the Gosman Athletic Center and was a three-time president of Brandeis's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Dadaos was a two-time Team Development chair for Brandeis' Relay For Life event.
The Max I. Silber Award, given to the outstanding female student-athlete, was presented to Anat Ben Nun of Haifa, Israel. Ben Nun, a member of the track and field team, was a three-time All-American in the triple jump, having missed her entire junior season with an injury. Ben Nun finished sixth in the nation in 2009, while her best career performance came as a sophomore, when she was NCAA Division III runner-up in the event. She was a four-time University Athletic Association champion in the triple jump, three times indoors and once outdoors, with three All-UAA honors in the high jump as well.
The Harry, Joseph and Ida Stein Award, given to the outstanding male athlete, was presented to men's basketball player Steve DeLuca of Merrimack, N.H. A graduate student this year, DeLuca was part of two NCAA tournament teams, and this season became the Judges' first All-American, as selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, since 1978. A three-time team leader in scoring and rebounding, DeLuca was Brandeis's career leader in games started and finished fifth on the University's career scoring list with 1,595 points. He also ranks among the Judges' top 10 in rebounds (673, 9th), blocked shots (51, 8th), steals (117th, T8th) and 3-pointers (134, 6th).


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Tower Bridge Engineering Tours
Tower Bridge, City of London Corporation
Ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes at Tower Bridge? Now is your chance.
Our renowned Engineering Tours offer visitors a rare and extended tour of Tower Bridge, from the fascinating Exhibition to the hidden depths of the most famous bridge in the world.
Part one: Learn about the Bridge's captivating history and construction from one of our experienced guides; view London life through our spectacular glass floor, admire stunning panoramic views from the high-level Walkways and wonder at the original steam pumping engines, accumulators and boilers in the atmospheric Engine Rooms.
Part two: Follow the Bridge's Senior Technical Officers to those areas normally out of bounds to the public, including the Bridge Control Room, the immense Bascule Chambers below river level and the Machinery Room, which houses the impressive hydraulics that power the lifting of the Bridge.
This is a discovery not to be missed.
£50 per person including new Tower Bridge Souvenir Guidebook
10:30 - 12:30 (approx.)
Engineering Tours take place on weekends throughout the winter with new tickets being released periodically. Each tour is limited to 12 places. Individual tickets can be purchased.
NOTE: The tour features steep stairs and areas that are considered confined spaces. If you have access requirements please discuss this with us before booking onto an Engineering Tour.
Please wear appropriate footwear and dress for the conditions - certain areas on the tour will be cold and damp.
Persons 14 -18 years must be accompanied by an adult. Admission will be refused otherwise.
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.