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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Emotional eating rears its ugly head
I've had a sucky week. Long story short, I applied for a supervisor position at work and, rather than hiring from within (there were two of us who applied), they decided they needed "new blood" and hired from elsewhere. Needless to say, this is not a happy face.
Soooo... my new boss started on Monday; and though she seems very nice, I'm not putting myself out there very much. Just kinda keeping things close to the vest, I guess.
Thursday there was a taping at work to give to people, and I ended up being in it. We had food for people, but I didn't partake in any of that. Instead, I went with my coworker to have Chinese (never a good choice). Later on, there were leftover cookies in the lunchroom, and I partook of them (something I haven't done since I got banded). I think when it was all said and done, I had three -- one chocolate chip and two oatmeal raisin. Ugh. That little voice was there, telling me not to, but I squashed it like a bug. Bad idea.
Then yesterday we had a staff meeting, and one of the ladies made cupcakes because it was one lady's last day. I had two. :(
I'm not going to do as I have in the past and beat myself up, but I recognized it for what it was. I've been snappish at home (poor hubby) and disenchanted with work, and I could TELL that it was emotional in nature. To top it off, for some reason this third fill has not really quenched much or any of my hunger. I feel as hungry between meals as I did after my second. There is still willpower involved here, and two days this week I lost that battle.
I know I could have done MUCH worse, and I'm glad I didn't... at least there was a smidgen of willpower there. From my lowest, the second day of liquids after my third fill, I had gone up 6 1/2 pounds. All of that was gained before the cookies and cupcakes. I had done a dinner party last weekend, and I know that certainly contributed. However, as of this morning, three of those pounds are gone, so I don't fee quite so desolate.
The other issue is, I've been really slacking on exercise the last two weeks. I think it's partially because of the job thing, but that's not a good excuse. I know what I need to do, but I've been in a slump. I've just kinda been feeling blah. I don't want to go to work, don't want to be there when I am there, and I've just been feeling tired. I know it's a form of mild depression, and I also know one way to help get out of that is to exercise. This is my promise to myself that starting today, I will put on a better attitude and put myself FIRST again. I'm worth it.
Posted by Beth at 10:48 AM
2 comments:
Stay strong...so you fell off the horse. It looks to me like you are getting back on and taking charge! You are worth it and with that mind set you can do it!ReplyDelete
Thank you, Alicia. I have just finished a workout, so I'm feeling good and in charge again. I appreciate your kind words. They really DO help. :)ReplyDelete
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Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells.
The mitochondria of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells stained with MitoTracker® Red CM-H2XRos (Cat. No. M7513). The cells were subsequently fixed, permeabilized and treated with RNase. Then the nuclei were stained with SYTOX® Green nucleic acid stain (Cat. No. S7020). The multiple-exposure photomicrograph was acquired using a fluorescence microscope equipped with bandpass filter sets appropriate for fluorescein and Texas Red® dyes.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Humanoid Error: How to fall (back) on your bot/
By COLIN DOBELL, President & CEO
This week, a number of people forwarded me links to a New York Times article about how the team from Korea's Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) recently wobbled away with the two-million-dollar grand prize at the 2015 Robotics Challenge Finals (DRC) in Pomona, California.
The DRC, sponsored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), challenges roboticists to develop systems capable of assisting humans in responding to natural and man-made disasters, such as 2011's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear incident. Competition tasks included driving a vehicle, opening a door, turning a valve, drilling a hole in a wall, walking on uneven ground and climbing stairs.
It all makes for great theatre, especially if you're the type of person who watches sports for the slow-motion replays. But it raises a question: why do the robots have to look like us? As Matt Simon puts it in a piece published by Wired Magazine in the days following the event, "C-3P0 was built to interact politely with human beings, but R2-D2 was built to do actual work. So why even bother developing bipeds?"
The consensus is that, in a physical environment designed by humans, humanoid robots will fare best, in terms of maneuvering around and interacting with man-made objects. And in communications-compromised situations, they will need to be at least semi-autonomous. Fair enough. But what about real-life tasks that need doing right now, if not yesterday?
Now, don't get me wrong — the DRC produced some pretty cool new technology, but the idea of full autonomy just isn't realistic any time soon. Speaking with the Times, even DARPA program manager Gill Pratt had to admit that, however human their movements, the robots' level of automation is still relatively basic. His exact words, in fact, were: "These things are incredibly dumb. They're mostly just puppets."
So, although the eventual use of advanced and autonomous robotics for real-world applications is pretty much guaranteed, that day may be a ways away yet. Meanwhile, there are standard robotic systems in use around the world, including Fukushima. These bots are already saving time, money and lives — and allowing people to do things that probably could not be done otherwise.
In fact, tele-operated robotic systems are everywhere you don't want to go. They're currently being deployed in radioactive environments, deep under water, in confined spaces and even in high temperatures. OK, we're not talking Mr. Data or Johnny 5 here; these sorts of electromechanical systems are really just tools capable of performing tasks remotely — with humans controlling them.
Still, while they may look nothing like us, they also don't lose focus, or trip on the sidewalk. And they can sure get a job done.
As UC Berkeley roboticist Ken Goldberg says in Simon's article: "I think we've learned that humanoids are hard. So maybe it's back to the drawing board. We have to think a little more about the design. And maybe it won't look quite human."
Amen. The anthropomorphized androids of Hollywood will no doubt find their place working with people in the future but, just for now, could we tone down the 'noids around here? Our industrial robots are hard at work.


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KIEL, Germany — On June 28, 1914, Kaiser Wilhelm II was preparing to indulge in a favorite pastime: racing his yacht Meteor at a regatta that is still held each year in this seafaring stronghold. When he learned of the assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Hapsburg Empire, he hastened to Berlin. But he quickly returned to this Baltic Sea port, on which he lavished so much money and time in his frantic race to match or outdo British naval superiority.
In many ways, Kiel epitomized Germany's rapid industrialization and militarization from 1870 to 1914, under Otto von Bismarck and then the kaiser. Numbers alone tell a story: In 1870, as Bismarck unified Germany, Kiel had around 30,000 inhabitants. By 1914, when Europe's leaders stumbled into World War I, its population exceeded 227,000.
Four years later, Kiel bore witness to the depths of German defeat. A sailors' rebellion that started here spread nationwide and helped force the abdication of the kaiser in November 1918. The next year, rather than let the Imperial Fleet fall to the enemy, German commanders on Scapa Flow, off Scotland, scuttled 52 of the fleet's 74 vessels. Under the Treaty of Versailles, signed five years to the day after the archduke's assassination, the proud navy was limited to just a few ships and 15,000 men — far fewer than the 35,000 German sailors who had perished in World War I.
Might, militarism and humiliation: These are the memories that make Germans today reluctant to project their clout as, once again, Europe's economic powerhouse. One hundred years on from World War I, German leadership in Europe is both desired and resented, a historically rooted ambivalence that is keenly felt by the Germans and by their wary neighbors.
Most Germans remain reluctant to see their country's force deployed in any way commensurate with its economic heft. But this abstention from military action does not mean that Germany is not throwing its weight about.
During the European debt crisis, Chancellor Angela Merkel demonstrated that no solution was possible without Germany's helping hugely to pay for it. Always calm, she brooked little criticism and brushed aside anti-German sentiment as she pushed to impose austerity on supposedly profligate European neighbors.
Today, with nationalism and populism on the rise in Europe, Ms. Merkel is central in trying to untangle a tussle over European leadership that may hasten a British exit from the European Union, and she faces demands from two other major partners, France and Italy, to relax stringent budgetary demands.
In Germany, the enormity of Nazi crimes in World War II tends to overshadow World War I, which consumed more than 37 million lives, including those wounded and missing, and four empires. In some ways, the 100th anniversary has reminded Germans that Hitler and his supporters bore deep scars from the country's catastrophic defeat in 1918. Germans are observing the occasion with some 80 exhibitions nationwide, and with countless discussions and seminars. "The Sleepwalkers," Christopher Clark's chunky history of how Europe went to war in 1914, is a best seller and its author a coveted guest for centenary discussions.
In Kiel, the imperial stamp always lingered. A statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I on horseback adorns a central park. The Kiel Canal, to this day an important waterway linking the North and Baltic Seas, was named after Wilhelm II when it opened in 1895. Outsize paintings of the opening still stare down at the regal Kiel Yacht Club.
Paradoxically, it was development on land that helped bolster the importance of this natural deep-sea port. By the time of Bismarck, the growth of railways had brought goods and people to Kiel from all over Germany and enabled the delivery of imports throughout the newly unified country. Later, shipyards that had produced Germany's first submarine in 1851 were central to Wilhelm II's naval race with Britain.
Especially after 1900, Wilhelm poured torrents of money into the German Navy. In 1906, Britain's Royal Navy took delivery of H.M.S. Dreadnought, with its groundbreaking armament of big guns. Wilhelm and top members of his navy and government responded with plans to build two dreadnoughts and one battle cruiser per year, as well as to dredge and widen the Kiel Canal so the large new vessels could use it.
Four battle cruisers were produced in Kiel from 1907 to 1910, completed ahead of schedule. Naval spending rose steadily at least until 1912, when military commanders came to consider a land war more likely.
Britain and France were alarmed by Wilhelm's ambition. Britain's determination to keep its navy supreme only heightened German anxieties, already running high because the kaiser felt beleaguered on two fronts. The huge Russian Army ensured that his perceived foes had more men under arms than Germany and its Austro-Hungarian allies could muster.
In some sense, his naval expansion may have been a salve for this insecurity. At any rate, the Reichskriegshafen Kiel, the imperial war harbor here, profited. By the time war broke out in 1914, the navy had 22 pre-dreadnought ships, 14 dreadnoughts and four battle cruisers.
Three more warships were completed by November 1914, and construction continued throughout the war, with a battle cruiser added in late 1914, 1916 and 1917. Naval historians, however, tend to accord more significance to Germany's U-boats, which were responsible for the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, for instance, eventually helping to draw the United States into Europe's Great War.
A similar shipbuilding boom erupted in the 1930s after Hitler took power and reached an agreement with Britain, ushering in a new wave of production of submarines and surface battle vessels. The shipbuilding made Kiel a prime target for Allied bombs, and by the end of the war in 1945, it was 80 percent destroyed.
Today, Kiel is still a seafaring town. Submarines are still built here. Sailors bob on Kiel Sound. Instead of dreadnoughts and battle cruisers, hulking cruise and cargo ships dominate the urban shoreline. But the city is a mosaic of ill-matched architecture and buildings that have changed purpose. Wilhelm's proud Naval Academy, for instance, is now the parliamentary seat of Schleswig-Holstein, the state of which Kiel is the capital. The mishmash lends a defeated air to a place still pondering how to remember and interpret a dreadful 20th century.
The histories of two concrete memorials illustrate the scars. One was originally intended to honor Germany's naval dead in World War I. The other is the Flandernbunker, or Flanders bunker, built outside the main surviving military base here. Its name stems from a Nazi campaign to lionize the Germans killed in the World War I trenches, and it sheltered military commanders and select civilians in the global conflict that ignited two decades later.
Today, a local art historian, Jens Rönnau, runs the bunker as an alternative arts and conference center with a goal of teaching peace and how to avoid future wars.
Last month, about 150 people spent two days on what Uta Körby, a 69-year-old Kiel native working to draw attention to the Nazi past and memorialize its victims, calls "Battleground: History."
The location was the memorial built for the World War I sailors. It is a tower and flamelike structure of reinforced concrete with an outer layer of north German brick, soaring nearly 300 feet above the coast at Laboe, where Kiel Sound meets the open sea. It was designed in 1927, but finished and opened only in 1936, when Kiel hosted the sailing events in the Olympics. Hitler attended but did not speak.
Instead, the Nazis left their mark in a subterranean memorial hall with a demand: "Bare your head and be silent!" Exiting up one staircase, today's visitors — there are 200,000 a year — confront a 1936 glass tableau of sailors' lives on ship and shore, in which a still-discernible swastika has replaced the sun.
For Jann M. Witt — the amiable, bearded historian of the German Naval Association, which looks after this memorial and a U-boat dry-docked across the road — the meaning of the place is clear: It was designed to glorify the German Navy and its victims in World War I. When the British, whose bombs had left the memorial unscathed, returned it to the association in 1954, the Germans decided it would be for all their naval victims in the two world wars, "and our dead adversaries."
That was still too militaristic for many. So in 1996, it became a memorial for all those who have died at sea — a sweeping designation that has brought some notable international elements but results in a muddled exhibition that is still a tad nationalistic in tone.
Mr. Witt and his associates believe that the memorial can carry a message of peace. Standing in a hall that shows every German ship lost in the two world wars, the 35,000 German sailors lost in World War I and the 120,000 said to have been lost in World War II, Mr. Witt recalled visiting with his grandfather, a member of the navy, when he was a boy.
"This," he said, "was the first place that I realized that war is not a game."


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Housing Our Children
Whenever possible, our children live at home with parents, guardians, or family. Most often the home environment is unsafe or unhealthy, in which case we enroll the children in quality boarding schools. Because family is so important, we continue to encourage positive connections with family members for boarding school children. When children are transitioning from elementary to secondary or university, they need creative housing solutions such as temporary hostels, apartments, or group homes.
Some of the schools attended by the children:
Healthcare in Nepal
Our children receive dental care, braces, vaccinations, glasses and regular annual exams. When children need surgeries or unexpected health issues arise, we take care of them. Our NGO partner staff take are often busy taking some of our 115 children to doctor appointments.Healthcare is not free in Nepal and often our families are unable to pay for medications or medical care.
Many of our children need extra clothing and personal items, which we supply. One of our favorite projects when we visit in the fall is to buy warm clothes and school supplies for the children.


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LOS CABOS, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexico and the United States signed an agreement on Monday to help U.S. firms and Mexican oil monopoly Pemex exploit deep water oil resources in the Gulf of Mexico that straddle the countries' maritime boundaries.
The deal, negotiated last year, will lift the moratorium on oil and gas exploration and production for 1.5 million acres in the Gulf and sets up legal guidelines for companies to jointly develop any trans-boundary reservoirs.
"These reservoirs could hold considerable reserves ... but they don't necessarily stop neatly at our maritime boundary. This could lead to disputes," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a ministerial meeting of Group of 20 nations in Los Cabos Mexico. "The agreement we are signing today will help prevent such disputes."
Both the U.S. Senate and its Mexican counterpart have to approve the agreement before it goes into effect.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the region an "area of high interest" to oil companies.
"I think there is a very good chance ... the trans-boundary area will be developed in the short term," he told reporters from a call in Washington.
Mexico - the world's No. 7 oil producer - is far behind the United States in exploring for deep water oil reserves and has drilled less than 20 wells in its territorial waters in the Gulf. Pemex estimates there are more than 29 billion barrels of crude equivalent in the area, or 58 percent of the country's prospective resources.
Carlos Morales, Pemex's director of exploration and production, told Reuters in an interview on Monday that the company plans to drill six or seven new deep water wells this year and plans eight new wells annually over the next five years.
So far most of the discoveries in Mexico's deep waters have been natural gas.
Mexico's oil industry regulator worries Pemex does not have the capability or the safeguards in place to move into ultra-deep drilling.
One of the wells Pemex plans to drill this year will be at depths of nearly 10,000 feet, more than 3,000 feet deeper than it had gone before.
Safety concerns loom large after the explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon rig in April 2010 that killed 11 workers and spewed more than 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf.
The U.S.-Mexico agreement covers oil spill and safety rules, an U.S. Interior Department official said.
Mexico is hoping to attract help from private companies to explore for oil in the region with a 2008 oil reform that allows for incentive based operating contracts, but no projects have yet been announced
"This agreement also creates new opportunities for our businesses. American energy companies will be able - for the first time - to collaborate with Pemex, their Mexican counterpart," said Clinton.
Mexico, which relies on oil revenues to fund a third of the federal budget, closely guards its oil resources nationalized since 1938.
"This agreement was negotiated invariably under the principle of respecting sovereign rights. Mexican oil wealth is and will continue to be of the Mexicans," President Felipe Calderon said at the event.
Pemex - a major oil exporter to the United States - saw oil output decline dramatically at its largest, aging fields but has managed to stabilize production at around 2.55 million barrels per day (bpd).
The state-oil company has been slow to replace lost reserves with new discoveries.
Last August, however, Pemex announced the discovery of a new light crude oil deposit in the Gulf of Mexico offshore from the southern Mexican state of Campeche.
The Kinbe-1 find has 150 million barrels of proven, probable and possible (3P) reserves, part of the Tsimin and Xux fields that hold a total of 2 billion barrels of crude, Pemex's Morales said.
"We are talking about a giant oil field," Morales said. "These areas will start producing in 2014."
Additional reporting by Mica Rosenberg and Adriana Barrera in Mexico City and Charles Abbott in Washington; Writing by Mica Rosenberg


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7 Reviews Written2 Helpful Votes
Sail Date: October 2010
This was our first ever river cruise. We have taken about 10 ocean cruises, so we wanted to see how a river cruise compared. What's nice about cruising on a river is the fact that you can always look out and see something and not just ... Read More
This was our first ever river cruise. We have taken about 10 ocean cruises, so we wanted to see how a river cruise compared. What's nice about cruising on a river is the fact that you can always look out and see something and not just open ocean. Plus you stop a lot, sometimes twice in one day. And since the river boats don't hold as many people (ours had 140 passengers), it's easy to get on and get off. And the ships are designed to hold the required number of passengers. In other words, there is a seat for everyone - in the lounge, in the dining room, etc. Our trip was the 7-day Blue Danube Discovery from Budapest to Nuremberg with a pre-cruise extension in Budapest and a post-cruise extension in Prague. All we can say at this point is that we are really glad we went on this trip. It was very enjoyable. Would I say it's better than an ocean cruise - in some ways yes, in some ways no. Each has it's pros and cons. Would we do a river cruise again, you bet. With AMA? YES! The hotel in Budapest was the Sofitel Hotel sitting about 200 feet from the Danube. Our double room overlooked the river and the beautiful castle/fortress on the hillside on the other side of the river. The bridge over the river and the this castle/fortress were lit up at night giving an impressive view out the hotel room window. It was a very comfortable hotel and we were in want of nothing. The room package included a big buffet breakfast each morning. Usually we ate enough at breakfast that we only needed a snack during the day to keep us going until dinner. Food in Budapest is what we called rather spicy because the Hungarians seem to like putting paprika in everything and in every conceivable way. But you still have to try it just for the experience. We tried the Hungarian Goulash which is different from Czech Goulash in that the Hungarian variety is like a soup served in a bowl and the Czech Goulash is meat and dumplings served on a plate and not as spicy. The included city tour of Budapest was quite good hitting all the highlights of Budapest with its rich history. Of course, the bus doesn't have time to stop everywhere, but the guide points out the sights of interest to most visitors and you can always go back somewhere with your free time of which there was plenty. We're not going to go into all the details of every stop we made on this 7-day trip down the Danube, but what we will say is that you should take advantage of all the included excursions as they are quite informative and enjoyable and you did pay for them. As for the optional excursions, we would suggest the evening concert in Vienna for those who do not normally have the opportunity to attend such classical events. We think it was probably the best of all the excursions we took. Another one that was fun is the optional Folklore dinner in Prague. It was a different experience than anything we have seen before. The food was good, the beer and wine flowing freely, and the entertainment very enjoyable from the Czech/Slovakian musical players, singers and dancers. As for the cruise itself, the ship was comfortable and the crew outstanding. One thing we did notice is that during our 7-day cruise, the ship never once rocked from side to side or bumped or anything else. It was a very, very smooth ride! Everyone was so very friendly. We upgraded our cabin by one category so that we would have a large window and sliding door so as to see the scenery as we cruised along the Danube. We're glad we upgraded after seeing the inside of one of the lower cabins. You would have to be at least six feet tall to see out of one of those windows. I think they're simply designed to let in light as opposed to offering any kind of view because they are high and small. Our cabin was quite comfortable with a queen size bed, lounge chair, ottoman we used as another seat, a flat-screen TV/computer, makeup desk, in-room safe, and plenty of closet space. The bathroom was well-equipped and modern. We were very comfortable during our week long journey. Internet in your room is included with your cruise. We only used the internet when we were in ports as the reception was always better. There is a large lounge and bar on the main deck with enough seating for everyone. This is also the entertainment area when performers come aboard for evening entertainment of which there was a lot. And it was all good. The dining room is directly below the lounge area at the front of the ship. There again there is enough seating for everyone at the one and only dinner service at 7:00 p.m. -- dinner has no assigned seating. There is no alternative restaurant or eating venue on these ships, but they do offer a number of different dinner choices each evening. The dinner choices are normally things from the country or area where they are transiting that day. As are the included wines. It was amazing how many different wines they served on a 7-day cruise. And they always had both red and white wines at dinner. If you are not a wine drinker, you can have beer or soft drinks if you like at no charge. They also had main course staples each evening - steak, chicken, fish, chef salad - for those not wanting to brave the local cuisine. A vegetarian dish was also on the menu each night. We had the chicken one night and it was very good. Breakfast was always buffet style with a lot of choices, but you could also order eggs cooked to order, omelets, pancakes, etc. Food is served just about every 3 hours. Coffee and tea are available 24-hours. Early risers can nibble on pastries and toast until the breakfast room opens (times vary but usually by 7:30). A cookie tray is put out about 10:30. A light lunch (soup, salads, one hot menu item, and dessert) can be eaten in the lounge or you may partake of the full lunch in the dinning room. After lunch the cookie tray appears and around 3:30 finger sandwiches and small pastries appear. We had some laundry done on the ship because we didn't want to pay the airlines $90 for another suitcase. The cost to have roughly a week's worth of underwear washed for two of us was 24 Euros (about $34). They picked it up at 8:00 p.m. and it was back the next morning by 10:00 a.m. The boat also had a very nice aft lounge that always had fresh fruit and water available. Board games and a computer with a printer were also available in the lounge. Just off the lounge was the exercise room. Although small, it had something for everyone -- sauna, free weights, treadmill, and bike. Bottled water was also available. For nice days, the sun deck had a walking track, sun chairs, small Jacuzzi, and large chess board. Our cruise ended in Nuremberg, Germany where we stayed overnight on the ship and then boarded motor coaches the next morning for our trip to Prague. Each motor coach had a local Czech tour guide on board who provided narration on our journey to Prague. The trip to Prague was pretty much an all day affair with a restroom stop at the German/Czech border and then another stop for lunch in the beautiful little town of Karlovy Vary. It's a picturesque little spa town with a river running through it. There is a fancy hotel there where some of the scenes from the movie Casino Royale with Daniel Craig were shot. After a short tour of the town, our Czech tour guide suggested a local restaurant for lunch. That's where we sampled the very good Czech Goulash along with a good Czech beer. Our lunch stop was two hours and then the rest of the trip to Prague lasted about another one and a half hours arriving at the hotel about 3:00 p.m. Our hotel in Prague was the Intercontinental Hotel located right in the old town area and just a couple blocks from the Charles Bridge and five minutes from the central plaza. The hotel is a 5-star hotel with all the amenities we could want. The room included a large breakfast buffet each morning. There are too many items to mention, but suffice it to say they have everything - meats, cheeses, eggs to order, pancakes, cereals, breads, juices, fruits, etc. Prague is a beautiful old city. It's easy to walk to most of the tourist attractions, shopping areas, and restaurants of which there are many. Prague is where we did the optional Folklore dinner. We had two full days to explore, but it wasn't enough so we'll have to go back someday. Our cruise director, Csaba, from Budapest was absolutely outstanding. He was there at the hotel when we first arrived and stayed with us all the way through to Prague. He was very professional, knowledgeable, and most of all he was very friendly. He's a 36-year old single guy who loves his job and you can tell by the way he goes about his business. We'd love to see him again on another cruise. Csaba also used his computer to check everyone in 24-hours before our flight departed Prague. He could not print out boarding passes, but you could get your seat assignments and do pre-check-in. Although you may initially be taken aback by the price of a river cruise, you must remember that a lot of things that may not be included in an ocean voyage are in included here such as local tours with transportation provided and local tour guides. You are also given an audio box with ear pieces so you can hear the guides as they take you through these old towns without having to be two feet from the guide in order to hear something. They really work quite well. They also have three different paced tour levels - fast, regular, and slow. Join whichever group you want. Free bottled water is also provided in your stateroom each day. Postcards are mailed for free by simply dropping them off at the front desk on the ship. It doesn't matter where they are going - U.S., Europe, etc. All in all, we were very pleased with our first river cruise and would not hesitate to do another one. Read Less


text: My 10-month-old wakes up around 8 a.m. everyday and usually takes his first nap around 9:30/10 and naps for 2-2 1/2 hours ... his next nap ranges anywhere from 2:30-4 and he naps usually around 2 hours at this time as well. I base his afternoon nap when he seems to be getting tired. :-)


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Southern Baptists Diversifying to Survive
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Seven years ago, the Rev. Eric Redmond never imagined himself leading a congregation in the overwhelmingly white Southern Baptist Convention.
Now, the young Temple Hills minister is the highest-ranking African American in the 16 million-member denomination and a representative of the changing times confronting Southern Baptists and other mostly white Protestant denominations.
Faced with a crisis of aging and departing members, the nation's largest non-Catholic Christian bodies -- Southern Baptists, United Methodists, Lutherans and Presbyterians -- are reaching out to minorities in ways they never have before.
Yet, while local churches often remain predominately black or white, the outreach does result in a more diverse national organization.
By establishing churches in minority communities, changing worship practices, electing minorities to leadership positions and purging racism from their language and attitudes, the faiths are seeking to draw in communities of color as a way to boost stagnating or falling membership. The consequences of ignoring those communities, they warn, are dire.
"You can almost calculate the time when we close the door and turn off the lights if we don't become a more diverse church," said Sherman Hicks, executive director of multicultural ministries for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a 4.9 million-member denomination that is 97 percent white.
But of all the denominations seeking to diversify, many agree that the Southern Baptist Convention -- an association of about 40,000 congregations that make up the nation's largest Protestant denomination -- has the farthest to travel.
From its 1845 birth in Georgia as a haven for white Baptists who supported slavery, the SBC has had troubled relations with African Americans. For 150 years, by its own admission, it was hostile to black progress, often speaking in favor of Jim Crow laws.
But in 1995, the Southern Baptists did an about-face, issuing a public apology for their history of bigotry and vowing to "eradicate racism in all its forms" from its ranks.
These days, the faith that was once proudly white now touts the fact that almost 20 percent of its congregations are predominantly black, Latino or Asian. Hundreds of minorities serve in leadership posts in its state conventions, seminaries and other organizations.
The SBC Mission Board estimates that the number of black members has doubled to about 1 million since the 1995 apology.
Southern Baptists are starting churches in black communities and, while they insist they don't recruit from predominantly black denominations, the outreach strategy includes welcoming black preachers from those bodies and offering them multi-day "boot camps" -- intensive teaching in starting Southern Baptist churches.


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At the end of 2011 Allanh K asked her Year Four students to record five things that they wanted their new teacher in Year Five to know about them.
This year, Allanah found out another teacher was using the activity with her students too.
Allanah has begun the "5 things I want my teacher to know about me" meme for learners from her blog, and here are mine…
I want my teachers to know that….
- I learn by seeing ideas in action, and by reading. I struggle to transform lectures into understanding unless you provide a transcript, visual cues or activities
- I am passionate about learning and will not ask for help until I have explored every other option I can think of
- I like to think and weigh up options/alternatives before committing to one answer
- I will correct my spelling, word choice or tweak a layout until I am satisfied that it is as close to how I imagined it as possible
- I will support others to do their best and think that failure is not trying at all/not believing in oneself.
What would be your five things?


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Premium Business Cards
Premium Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. A business card typically includes the giver's name, company or business affiliation (usually with a logo) and contact information such as street addresses, telephone number(s), fax number, e-mail addresses and website. Before the advent of electronic communication business cards might also include telex details. Now they may include social media addresses such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Traditionally many cards were simple black text on white stock; today a professional business card will sometimes include one or more aspects of striking visual design.
Paper & size
The standard dimensions for a printed business card are 3.5 x 2 inches. That's the finished card size. Many printed designs include bleed.
The "bleed area" is an extra 1/8 inch of space for design elements or backgrounds that extend beyond the finished size of your piece.


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SAIC Earns VMware Validated Design Certification for Software-Defined Data Center
Company is now one of 10 with this designation
Public Company Information:
RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) announced today that the company has joined the VMware Ready Certified Partner Architecture program for its Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) architecture.
SAIC has developed an SDDC architecture and completed the deployment of an active-active configuration across SAIC's data centers using VMware's automated Deployment Tool Kit (DTK). This initial internal capability is directly applicable to SAIC customers looking to deploy SDDC architectures within their current and future data center.
"SAIC is pleased to join VMWare's Certified Partner Architecture program, giving us access to VMware's DTK. The DTK coupled with SAIC's certified architecture enables us to help our customers to achieve their cloud goals quickly and efficiently regardless of the type of cloud structure," said John Walsh, SAIC senior vice president and general manager of the Information Technology Solutions Market Segment.
This capability provides a significant reduction in risk and schedule by deploying an SDDC capability more efficiently and in an automated and repeatable fashion. SAIC is one of 10 companies globally with this designation, and the VMware's Validated Design Certification forms the basis of SAIC's software-defined Infrastructure, cloud brokerage, and cloud managed services offerings, providing SAIC with a highly capable cloud management platform certified by VMware through rigorous testing.
VMware established the Certified Partner Architecture program to ensure that their Validated Design team verified and rigorously tested SDDC architectures produced by VMware Partners.
About SAIC
SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's more than 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.
Certain statements in this announcement constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties and a number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in SAIC's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other such filings that SAIC makes with the SEC from time to time, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our web site at www.saic.com . Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.


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Homemade frozen lemonade: Village Voice
You know what's really satisfying when it's hot out and you don't want to hate yourself? Smoothies. You know what's unbelievably, remarkably stupid-expensive? Smoothies. Read more of this post on … Continue reading
Avocado on Toast: Village Voice
Forget everything you thought you knew about what you wanted for brunch. No more gloggy, room-temperature eggs benedict or sugar stuffed french toast topped with whipped sugar. The Australian cafe … Continue reading
50 Shades of Grey Culinary Guide: Village Voice
You could skip through 50 Shades of Grey, reading only the sex scenes, but you'd miss out on so much. Like witty email exchanges between the main characters, Christian Grey and … Continue reading
Hand pulled vs Knife Peeled Noodles: Village Voice
If someone plopped down two steaming bowls of noodle soup and asked you which was knife-peeled and which was hand-pulled, what would you do? What if they said your life … Continue reading
Halloumi Cheese: Village Voice
If Halloumi was single and it had an online dating profile, it would probably say, "Hi, I'm a cheese from Cyprus. My friends describe me as salty, crispy, chewy, and … Continue reading
DIY Wonton Soup: Village Voice
Wonton soup is a love/hate kind of soup. Sloppy in a good way, filling, cheap, feels like a healthier choice than pork fried rice–it seems to be a great idea. … Continue reading
Power of Pine: South Magazine
Armed with one of the Peach State's most abundant resources, one Georgia-based company is stepping up with an answer to the world's energy crisis. Deep in the South hides a … Continue reading
Detective, Demystified: South Magazine
After nearly two decades solving Savannah's mysteries, Private Investigator Ron Palefsky reveals the truth about sleuthing―one story at a time. Ron Palefsky sits in the dead silence of his recently … Continue reading


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If you haven't quite got around to adding nutrient dense kale (curly, tuscan or even purple) to your weekly shop, this is a fabulous way to introduce it to your family. Start with small steps, that's my motto! And if you have to trick your family into eating it at first, that's OK!
I have been making this slice for my children since they were toddlers, and it is still a firm favourite, even with my more recent changes to it's formulation. I first blogged this recipe back in 2012 and you'll find my original Thermomix recipe here. About one year ago I upgraded the ingredients and the recipe size so not only is it more nutritious, but it goes a little further. Hence the addition of kale. but If you'd rather use all spinach, go ahead. I use frozen spinach because it is convenient and cheaper than purchasing the fresh equivalent. If you prefer to use 100% fresh rather than a mix of fresh and frozen leafy greens, you'll only need about 150g in total for this recipe*. Sometimes I make this recipe with more kale than spinach depending on what I have available and add a little lemon zest to help with the bitterness. Go on be adventurous I challenge you!
By the way, this slice freezes really well. It's a staple child-friendly frozen ready-meal at our place. For a complete meal simply serve it up with extra greens like broccolini, plus red and orange vegetables lightly steamed or raw. Being as we always have homemade chicken chunks in the freezer, a few of these often feature too for a quick an easy evening meal. It certainly makes life easy for mummy when we arrive home late from after school activities to simply reach into the freezer and pull out a ready-meal I know I can trust to nourish my babies. A little tip . . . my girls love to dip their 'rice slice' as they call it, in tomato sauce . . my homemade fermented tomato sauce of course! Learn how here.
what you'll need:
250g organic frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained* 50g fresh kale, stems removed, finely shredded
180g brown basmatic rice (or a combination of wild & brown) - or 250g cooked 5 large organic, pastured eggs
300g good quality fetta cheese
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to make it:
Preheat oven to 200C and grease an ovenproof rectangular dish 30 x 25cm. Place in a colander and allow to defrost. Press firmly to drain the water once defrosted. Preheat oven to 200C and grease a large oven-proof rectangular dish.
Rinse rice thoroughly and cook as per directions on the stove top or in a rice cooker. NOTE: you can pre-cook the rice at anytime it is convenient and store ready to go in the fridge.
Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl, crumble in the fetta cheese and add the finely shredded kale, drained frozen spinach, ground flaxseeds, and a good grind of black pepper. Fold in the cooked rice and mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and spread evenly using a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting into fingers and serving.
Thermomix method:
Weigh the rice into the steam basket, rinse and place in the TM bowl. Pour over 1L of filtered cold water and cook on speed 4 for 30 minutes or until just tender.


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The Jewett Family maternity session ~ Austin, TX maternity photographer
I so love this little family you're about to see... I knew Tawny before she was married, before she and Zac had little Nathan... and now their family is growing and growing! Sweet baby Coraline is due in about another month, and I cannot wait to meet her and take her newborn photos. :) Here's a few from the Jewett Family maternity session!


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– Summer 2011
Contextual Essays
Dexter Sinister
Minerva Cuevas
Events, Works, Exhibitions
Minerva Cuevas and the Art of Para-sitic Intervention
Jean Fisher
This text is only available to subscribers
To subscribe to Afterall journal, starting with this issue, please click here.
Alternatively, if you wish to purchase this article individually, you may do so via the University of Chicago's website.
Existing User
Minerva Cuevas, Drunker, 1995, video transferred to DVD, 1h 5min. Courtesy the artist and Kurimanzutto, Mexico City.
To speak means to come forward and to locate oneself in one's sphere of existence; it means to claim a modest quantum of agency.
Michel de Certeau1
My introduction to the work of Minerva Cuevas was Drunker (1995), a videotaped action in real time of the artist sitting alone and writing at a school desk whilst drinking her way through a bottle of tequila. Exhibited alongside the video were the sheets of writing paper, inscribed with such self-reflective statements as 'I drink not to feel… I'm not drunk… I drink to talk… I'm not drunk… I drink to forget… I drink to remember…', which traced the descent into incoherence and, according to the artist, total amnesia. On the face of it Drunker seems like a purely personal act with little political resonance. Cuevas's written statements, however, point to a different narrative, one in which substance abuse is a means to 'obliterate' the anguish of trauma, where the sufferer is caught between the compulsion to bear witness to the catastrophe and the impossibility of articulating it. Alone at her desk, the drinker has no witness but the mute, voyeuristic gaze of the camera — and ultimately the empty bottle, which, given the trajectory of Cuevas's subsequent work, we may retrospectively suggest figures the anaesthetic effect of capitalist consumerism. The problem for the witness to trauma is in finding a language capable of transmitting empathetic recognition of the experience in the receiver. It is tempting, therefore, to regard Drunker as the 'ground zero' from which, through experiments in colonising public space and communications systems, including street interventions, gallery installations and her website, Cuevas's work forges
Michel de Certeau, The Capture of Speech and Other Political Writings (trans. Tom Conley),
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997, p.98.↑
Jonathan Crary, Techniques of the Observer: On Vision and Modernity in the Nineteenth Century,
Cambridge, MA and London: The MIT Press, 1992, p.10.↑
Chantal Mouffe, On the Political, London and New York: Routledge, 2005, p.28.↑
Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle (1967, trans. Fredy Perlman and John Supak), Detroit:
Black and Red, 1983, paragraphs 160 and 157.↑
M. de Certeau, The Practice of Everyday Life (trans. Steven F. Randall), Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1984, pp.91—92.↑
Ibid., pp.54—55.↑
M. de Certeau, The Capture of Speech, op. cit., p.93.↑
Ibid., p.97.↑
Michel Serres, Hermes: Literature, Science, Philosophy (ed. Josué V. Hari and David F. Bell), Baltimore
and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982, pp.xxv—xxvi and 66—67.↑
Mexico's native asphalt used since Olmec times (c.1500—400 BCE) as a waterproofing agent,
commonly applied to clay figures.↑
J. Crary, Techniques of the Observer, op. cit., p.9.↑
Ibid., p.13.↑
Ibid., p.18, note 26.↑
Cuevas's The Battle of Calliope comprises a music box manufactured in Germany by Kalliope and dated
c.1900, a C-print, a percussion score by Gordon Odametey, steel discs and an electronic circuit. In Greek
mythology, Calliope ('the beautiful-voiced') was the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and the muse
of epic poetry commonly represented by a stylus and waxed tablet. In Germany Kalliope is the name
adopted by the Staatsbibliothek of Berlin for its online project of an networked information system,
which is especially focused on their collection of autograph manuscripts.↑
Jacques Rancière, The Politics of Aesthetics (trans. Gabriel Rockhill), London and New York:
Continuum, 2004, p.13.↑


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On Professionalism; or, Been There, Done That. Got The Tee Shirt
How do you get respect, anyway?
Be knowledgeable and relevant, simultaneously. Authoritative and contemporary; trained in the classics and comfortable with the avant garde. Or is it just "think young"? All of that.
I'm thinking that the guy who comes into my shop (on purpose, that is, not lost, "just looking," or dragged there by Mom or partner,) wants both. Wants to be sure that we know what we're talking about, confident that the things we show him are truly stylish and up-to-date, wants to be absolutely sure that this pair of pants, jacket, shirt, whatever, fits correctly. And perhaps most important, wants to know if the goods we've got are worth the dough, and if so, why.
Sure, there's the occasional gentleman who refuses to try anything new, but he's more likely a past victim of the kind of unsophisticated retailer I'm alluding to above. And the guy who "Just ain't gonna pay that for this, no matter what you say!" But they mostly go elsewhere (B... B..., M...W... ?)
So how do we get this training and knowledge? How do we know the difference between Super 120s (grade of Merino wool) and 120s Two-Ply (cotton thread count,) how do we know that your collar needs to be lowered or raised, or if you really can't wear pants with that short of a rise? How do we get to convince you that a stripe shirt really will look great with a plaid suit and a striped tie? How do we know that you'll wear this thing we recommend and you'll get compliments; that it'll become your very favorite?
Hey, all you gotta do is spend the last 45 years learning every aspect of the trade: grow up in a clothing factory, launch a designer collection, design your own fabrics, work with tailors, pattern-makers, textile manufacturers; that's all. Then open a store and wait on discriminating and quality-conscious fellas from morning til night six days a week for fourteen years. And while you're doing that keep one thing uppermost in your mind at all times:
"You've got a lot to learn, buster."


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The Value of Training
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Homeschooling is now a practical choice for most parents seeking to increase and better their child's educational expertise. The public and private school systems are actually restricted, for practical good reasons, regarding… Read More
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A client e-mailed me yesterday about her student loan debts that netted her three college degrees and a job without a commensurate income and future. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree… Read More


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The Pac-12 now boasts seven ranked teams in the two polls, but even more impressive is the fortitude to schedule four other ranked opponents (#8 Nebraska, #9 Iowa, #11 Wisconsin, #23 Houston) in addition to the playing the most difficult of all BCS conference schedules.
#25 Cal at Nevada: The Bears have the number one defense in the country and The Wolfpack have the number one offense. Colin Kaepernick hasn't faced a front seven as good as the Bears in his entire career, but Cameron Jordan and Kendrick Payne will try to introduce themselves in the backfield. My guess is that the defense prevails. Bears 34 – Wolfpack 27
#18 USC at Minnesota: Lane Kiffin left the defense at home in his first game, he left the offense in Hawaii for game 2, could there be a special teams disaster on the horizon? Trojans 38 – Golden Gophers 20
#23 Houston at UCLA: The Bruins might be facing Houston without their Heisman candidate – Case Keenum, who suffered a concussion last week. If he's unable to play the Bruins might get their first win behind a strong defensive performance. I'm guessing that Keenum plays. Cougars 24 – UCLA 19
Arizona State at #11 Wisconsin: The Sun Devils won't have a chance if they can't stop the 255lb running back known as John Clay. ASU is one of the most aggressive defensive teams in the conference, but they will need to minimize the penalties to keep the game within reach. Badgers 30 – Sun Devils 13
#8 Nebraska at Washington: The Cornhuskers freshman quarterback – Taylor Martinez, looks like a Jake Locker clone with the ability to make plays when they break down. The Husky defense will struggle to stop the running game, but if their offense gets rolling they will stay in the game. Dawgs 27 – Huskers 24
Wake Forest at #19 Stanford, 8:15: Stanford wants redemption after they lost a game in the final minutes at Wake Forest last year. Andrew Luck struggled against the talented UCLA secondary, but Wake Forest won't be able to match the Pac-10 speed. Cardinal 34 – Demon Deacons 17
Portland State at #5 Oregon: The Oregon offense should keep on rolling and this game might be an opportunity to get a lot of reps out of Darron Thomas. Ducks 52 – Vikings 10
Louisville at #25 Oregon State: The Rodgers Brothers should put on a show against an inferior opponent, but this could be a statement game for new Louisville head coach Charlie Strong, former defensive coordinator of the Florida Gators. Oregon State wants to bounce back after their loss against TCU. Expect Ryan Katz to improve from his 9 of 25 performance in week one. Beavers 34 – Cardinals 14
#9 Iowa at #24Arizona: Arizona will attempt to spread out the Iowa defense and get their play makers in space. Iowa's DE Adrian Clayborne leads arguably the best defensive line in the country and will likely shut down the Wildcat running game. I think Arizona plays with a chip on their shoulder and the secondary comes up with a big play late. Wildcats 27 – Hawkeyes 23
#14 Utah at New Mexico: New Mexico is still recovering from the beat down that Oregon put on them, the Utes cruise in this one 37 – 14.
Hawaii at Colorado: The Buffaloes were cooked into bison burgers in Berkeley last week, but the benefits of the loss are learning where you can improve. Hawaii is not nearly as good on the road. Buffs 33 – Rainbows 24
2010 Prediction Record 20-1
[tweetmeme source="Pac12Conference" only_single=false]


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Oakwood - 6508 Denbigh Avenue, Metrotown, Burnaby Oakwood at 6508 Denbigh Avenue is an modern looking lowrise building constructed by Intracorp. Located in the Forest Glen area just a couple of blocks from Kingsway. The grounds are well groomed and the suites boasts views of the North Shore mountains. Oakwood is situated just outside the busy Metrotown area, but still near all the shopping and services of the Kingsway Metrotown area.
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The heterotrimeric G-Proteins (Guanine nucleotide-binding Proteins) are signal transducers that communicate signals from many hormones, neurotransmitters, chemokines, and autocrine and paracrine factors. The extracellular signals are received by members of a large superfamily of receptors with seven membrane-spanning regions, known as GPCR (G-Protein Coupled Receptor), that activate the G-Proteins, which route the signals to several distinct intracellular signaling pathways. These pathways interact with one another to form a network that regulates metabolic enzymes, ion channels, transporters, and other components of the cellular machinery controlling a broad range of cellular processes, including transcription, motility, contractility, and secretion. These cellular processes in turn regulate systemic functions such as embryonic development, gonadal development, learning and memory, and organismal homeostasis. Heterotrimeric G-Proteins are composed of an Alpha, a Beta, and a Gamma subunit. These subunits are encoded by families of related genes. According to current knowledge, 16 genes encode for G-Alpha-subunits, five genes encode for G-Beta-, and 12 genes encode for G-Gamma-subunits. Classically, G-Proteins are divided into four families based on similarity of their Alpha-subunits: G-AlphaI/O, G-AlphaS, G-AlphaQ/11, and G-Alpha12/13.
-subunits contain two domains: a GTPase domain that is involved in the binding and hydrolysis of GTP and a helical domain that buries the GTP within the core of the protein. The helical domain is the most divergent domain among G-Alpha families and may play a role in directing specificity of receptor- and effectors-G-Proteins coupling. G-Proteins cycle between an inactive, GDP (Guanosine Diphosphate)-bound form and an active, GTP (Guanosine Triphosphate)-bound form. Upon activation, GDP is released, GTP binds to
, and subsequently G-Alpha-GTP dissociates from G-Beta-Gamma and from the receptor. Both G-Alpha-GTP and G-Beta-Gamma are then free to activate downstream effectors. The duration of the signal is determined by the intrinsic GTP hydrolysis rate of the
G-Alpha-subunit and the subsequent reassociation of G-Alpha-GDP with G-Beta-Gamma (Ref.1, 2 & 3).
G-AlphaI/O proteins are widely expressed. G-AlphaI/O family is divided into 8 subtypes: GNAI1 (G-AlphaI-1), GNAI2 (G-AlphaI-2), GNAI3 (G-AlphaI-3), GNAO (G-AlphaO), GNAZ (G-AlphaZ), GNAT3 (G-Alpha-Gust), GNAT1 (G-Alpha-t-r) and GNAT2(G-Alpha-t-c). In general, G-AlphaI protein subtypes inhibit AC (Adenylate Cyclase) and decrease intracellular cAMP (Cyclic Adenosine 3,5-monophosphate) levels. Reduction in cAMP level leads to reduced PKA (Protein Kinase-A) activation. Thus, G-AlphaI negatively regulates PKA signaling. Many important Hormones and Neurotransmitters, including Epinephrine, Acetylcholine, Dopamine, and Serotonin, use the G-AlphaI pathway to evoke physiological responses. G-AlphaII can also regulate signals from c-Src to STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3) and to the Rap
pathways. However, the physiological consequences of Gai regulation of c-Src-STAT3 and Rap pathways remain to be established. Src family kinases are rapidly and transiently activated by various G protein-coupled receptor agonists, including LPA, Thrombin, Bombesin and Bradykinin. Besides STAT3, active c-Src also mediates Ras/MAPK activation through tyrosine phosphorylation of the adaptor protein SHC and its subsequent association with the GRB2 adaptor, which directs the GDP/GTP exchanger SOS to Ras. Activated Ras leads to activation of Raf, which further activates ERK (Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase) via MEK1/2 (MAPK/ERK1/2). ERK signaling cascade mediates the growth-promoting effects of stimulated G-protein-linked receptors. Activated ERK enter the nuclear and activate transcription factor Elk1 thus regulating Cell proliferation (Ref.4, 5 & 6).
also regulate Rap1 pathway. G-AlphaI interacts with Rap1-GAP. Rap1-GAP specifically stimulates GTP hydrolytic activity of the monomeric G-protein Rap1 and thus is believed to function as a down-regulator of Rap1 signaling. Rap1 belongs to the Ras subfamily of small GTP-binding proteins, which is considered to control cell growth, differentiation and survival. Two isoforms of Rap1 are known, Rap1A and Rap1B: they share more than 90% sequence homology but are differently expressed in different cell types. Rap1A and Rap1B forms an active complex with BRaf (v-Raf Murine Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog-B1) for MEK1/2 (MAPK/ERK Kinase-1/2) activation finally resulting in Elk1 activation via ERK (Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase). Rap1 also inhibits c-Raf. Recently, the intracellular RGS (Regulator of G-protein Signalling) proteins have been discovered to serve additional, mostly negative, modulatory roles in G-Alpha-mediated signal transduction. RGSproteins are able to inhibit the effects of G-AlphaI on AC activity as a result of their GAP activity. RGS14 regulates G-protein nucleotide exchange and hydrolysis by acting as a GAP through its RGS domain and as a GDI (Guanine nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitor). RGS14 exerts GDI activity on GN-AlphaI1. RGS14 inhibits guanine nucleotide exchange on GN-AlphaI1 and GN-AlphaI3, but not GN-AlphaI2. Another protein, Caveolin-1 also act as negative regulator of GN-AlphaI. The G-Proteins regulate important cellular components, such as metabolic enzymes, ion channels, and the transcriptional machinery. The resulting alterations in cellular behavior and function are manifested in many critical systemic functions, including embryonic development, learning and memory, and organismal homeostasis. This results in the propagation of regulated activities through increasingly complex layers of organization to serve as the basis of integration at the systemic level (Ref.7, 8 & 9).


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In this chapter we will discuss the documents that are needed to perform a lifestyle analysis and how those documents are used. In later chapters, we will focus on specific types of income or assets and, more specifically, how the documents are used to investigate those items.
This book does not discuss the basics of accounting, as our focus is very narrow and our space is limited. It assumes you have a basic working knowledge of income taxes, financial statements, and accounting terminology. Miles Mason, Sr., JD, CPA, covers the topic of accounting for lawyers thoroughly in The Forensic Accounting Deskbook. An entire chapter is devoted to discussing financial statements, basis of accounting, general ledgers, and audits, and it is an invaluable reference tool for family lawyers.
Following are some of the most common financial documents utilized in family law cases, with a discussion of information they can provide about income, assets, liabilities, and expenditures.
Income Tax Returns, W-2s, and Current Pay Stubs
An individual's income tax returns (Form 1040), W-2s, and current pay stubs are the most common and basic documents evidencing income. A sample of a 2012 personal income tax return (Form 1040) is included in Appendix A for reference.
The income tax return will provide information on the following sources of income. The list includes some pointers on ways the items can be analyzed to search for hidden income and hidden assets.
- Wages—The figures reported on the income tax return should be matched to the W-2. The W-2 and the pay stubs will provide additional information on the employers, pay rates, total pay, certain benefits, and taxes withheld. Additional analysis may include tracing bank deposits to ensure that all wages were used for the benefit of the family.
- Taxable interest and tax-exempt interest—These items of income must be considered when calculating income available for support. They are also important because they can point to bank, investment, and brokerage accounts that may not have been specifically disclosed in the family law case.
- Dividends—Like interest, this item of income must be considered in calculations of income available for support and can point to bank, investment, and brokerage accounts that may not have been disclosed.
- Taxable refunds or credits—Refunds should be examined to determine if they were shared by the parties, and the expert should evaluate whether a spouse is having unusually large amounts withheld from paychecks. This could be a technique used to hide funds until after the divorce is final.
- Alimony received—This item relates to a prior marriage and will likely not be a factor in the current marriage and divorce.
- Business income or loss—This form shows income or loss from a sole proprietorship or single-member limited liability company (LLC). Chapter 12 covers the business lifestyle analysis, so information on this line item will be found there.
Also included in this chapter:
Income Tax Returns, W-2s, and Current Pay Stubs
Business Financial Statements
Business Budgets or Projections
Business Accounting Records
Personal Accounting Records
Bank Statements and Related Documents
Brokerage Statements
Credit Card Statements
Loan Applications
Bankruptcy Court Documents
Other Miscellaneous Documents
What Is Proof?


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$100 MetroCards? Fuggedaboutit!
The MTA has outdone itself. This week, they announced another round of potential fare hikes — including a plan to make "unlimited" monthly MetroCards limitedstarting January 1st.
Translation: Even as the cost goes up to nearly $100 per month, monthly MetroCards will only get you about 3 rides per day next year — the 4th ride will cost you extra. (Or you can pay even more for a truly unlimited card).1
This "limited unlimited" is just the most outrageous part of a new round of fare increases announced by the MTA. But we're sick of this ridiculous cycle.
The MTA has to get the message that they can't keep using more and more fare hikes as a short-term fix — they need a real long-term plan to restore the finances of New York City's transit system.
Will you join this fight by signing a petition opposing the fare hikes?
NYC Transit riders already pay more than our fair share of the cost to keep the transit system running — more than almost any other major city in America. And these increases amount to a new tax on millions of working families.
What is the solution? The MTA needs a long-term plan to stabilize its finances and keep subways and buses affordable, one that asks everyone who benefits from the system — riders, commuters, drivers, and area businesses — to pitch in equally. And elected officials in Albany, City Hall, and Washington must stop under-funding public transportation.
But the first step is showing the MTA and the politicians that transit riders are fed upand won't take new fare hikes sitting down. We want to create a public outcry against these new increases that's strong enough to put the MTA on notice — so please sign the petition, and then forward this message to all the subway riders you know.
1. "MTA Sets Fare Rise" Wall Street Journal July 28, 2010


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Guarantee Electrical Co. recently completed a massive electrical system renovation and additions at a 170,000-sq-ft TUMS factory in downtown St. Louis.
"We were working in a fully functioning facility," said Steve Briesacher, Guarantee's project manager. "We took precautions to ensure our work would never contaminate or slow the production of TUMS."
Guarantee's precautions included erecting temporary plastic partitions around all production areas and wearing lab coats, hair and beard nets, and boot covers in product-sensitive areas. In addition, Guarantee worked around factory shifts and during times when the plant was closed. The electrical team coordinated with McCarthy, the construction manager, and GlaxoSmithKline, the owner of TUMS, to shut down portions of the plant for periods of time, but some part of TUMS production continued at all times.
GlaxoSmithKline allotted $1.5 million out of a total $14 million for electrical work at the factory, which was required earlier than expected. The 70-year-old building did not even have enough power to hook up the construction equipment, so a new 15,000V substation was added before construction began. Guarantee later provided new power distribution, controls and instrumentation for the plant.
"It would have been easier for TUMS to build a new plant in a suburban area," said Briesacher, "but they were committed to staying in this historic building in St. Louis."
TUMS, which was introduced on the market as an antacid in 1930, began being prescribed as a calcium supplement in the mid-1980s.
"When they came out with Pepcid and all those antacids, they figured that TUMS was just going to wither away, but the doctors started prescribing it for the calcium and now they're making more Tums than ever," he said. "They had to bring their plant up to FDA guidelines make their processes more efficient. Staying in an existing building was probably the most cost effective and quickest way to respond to the market conditions."
Most new manufacturing/distribution facilities are single-story facilities spread out over a large area. In contrast, the TUMS factory is a multi-story building that uses the theory of gravity as an operating method. Product manufacturing begins on the top floor and moves through the lower floors until it reaches distribution on the bottom floor. Before the renovations, small quantities of raw materials were moved to the fifth floor via a freight elevator. As part of the renovation, the team implemented new "super sack" technology that blows large quantities of raw materials up a shaft from the first to the fifth floor, resulting in tremendously increased plant efficiency.
The TUMS factory was completed about a year ahead of schedule. Joining Guarantee and McCarthy on the project was Lockwood Greene, architect/engineer.
"By close coordination with the plant, we came up with scheduling methods that allowed us to improve and speed along the process," Briesacher said.
Founded. 1902
Headquarters. St. Louis, Mo.
Peak workforce. 1,000
2000 revenues. $126 million
Specialties. Electrical construction, electrical engineering design, design-assist, value engineering, procurement, service and preventative maintenance.
Current Projects. $276 million Renaissance Grand Hotel; $165 million A.G. Edwards complex; the $55 million Sigma-Aldrich Life Science Technology Center; and the retrofit of the Louisville Wastewater Treatment Plant in Louisville, Ky.


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Top ten accounting practice has joined DFK International
A top ten accounting practice in the Netherlands has joined DFK International and become one of the largest individual member firms of the global association.
Alfa Accountants and Advisors is the latest member of DFK International, which is among the top ten accountancy associations in the world and has over 300 offices in more than 80 countries. Alfa, which has 28 offices and almost 800 employees located throughout the Netherlands, has an annual revenue of approximately US$ 85 million which puts it among the largest individual member firms.
It is the first time that the independent audit and accounting practice, which was established in 1942, has signed up to an international association. Marco Vermin, a member of Alfa's board of directors, said the firm had chosen to join DFK International as it would help the firm expand its international offering, and their philosophy and values were well‐matched.
He said: "An increasing number of our clients are operating in the international market and we wanted to offer them our full support with cross‐border services. With our nationwide reach, we are also keen to provide services to foreign firms with interests in the Netherlands. DFK International can equip us to achieve both goals.
"We were also drawn to DFK International because it is an association of independent firms and we trust in the quality and standards of its members which are similar to those in the Netherlands.
"We have already referred a number of our clients to member firms and we believe our enhanced international scope will be a great asset in attracting new business."
Alfa provides audit, accounting, tax and a wide range of advisory services to a variety of SME clients in the Netherlands, and has a strong tradition within the agricultural sector.
Martin Sharp, executive director of DFK International, said Alfa's decision to join was a major coup given its top ten ranking within the Netherlands and its broad nationwide coverage.
He said: "We are delighted and proud to have such a capable and dynamic firm as Alfa join our
growing association.
"Alfa is a great fit for DFK International and there is huge potential for both organisations to benefit
from their membership.
"Their annual revenue puts Alfa among the largest individual member firms in DFK International and their geographical reach and standing within the Netherlands will undoubtedly enhance our global presence.
"This is a particularly exciting time to be joining DFK International. In the last year, we have extended our presence with high‐quality firms in many more countries. Cross‐border business is increasing and our members are continuing to find new ways to share information and deliver an even better service to clients.
"Alfa is keen to be an active member and we are looking forward to having the firm fully involved in all aspects of our on‐going development."


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Black Chicken
Beautiful skin is sought after the world over and most people are willing to try anything just to get that glowing, healthy skin they've always wanted. Luckily, wild, and wacky skin solutions have come to an end with Black Chicken Remedies, and Australian skincare line made with 100% natural ingredients, made available by Paul Gerrard salon in Hong Kong.
Black Chicken Remedies' first product, Love Your Body Oil, is a special combination of natural oils including sandalwood, geranium, patchouli, and lavender that provide a deep long-lasting moisture to help nourish and revive dry and dull skin. Love Your Body Oil also helps prevent signs of ageing. No wonder it's the most famous and best loved product from Black Chicken Remedies!
In order to help us all put our most beautiful face forward, BCR has come up with Love Your Face Serum to help you transform your current skin into a hydrated, smoother, and firmer complexion. The highly concentrated formula penetrates deep into your skin and continues to work day and night to put back into your skin what life has taken out.
Have we mentioned that all BCR products smell divine? The fragrance, with hints of the tropics and ocean turf, not only smells fresh and rejuvenating, but also works with both men and women.
All BCR are certified NASTY free, meaning there are no parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, or artificial colours that can actually strip your skin of its natural moisture and balance.
To get your hands on Black Chicken Remedies, visit our salon today.
Find out more about beautiful hair at
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Re: The Big Thaw, Image; Energy strategy for Canada, Opinion Online, July 26
Greenland is melting at an unprecedented rate, and the Star buries this rather important newsflash in a back page. Three experts on energy and labour write that 700 businesses and organizations are calling for a Clean Energy Accord among the provinces, but the Star, while posting the op-ed online, decides not to print it. Mother Nature is sending strong signals that our carbon-based activities are affecting the climate, and experts, businesses, civil society and citizens are calling for a plan to transition us to a clean energy economy. These stories are front-page news. Please treat them as such.
Cheryl McNamara, Toronto


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News Regarding "An Evening with GB Leighton and Tim Mahoney"/
As some of you may have heard, GB Leighton has canceled all February performances. You can read more about the reasons why in a letter from Brian Leighton on the GB Leighton website. So, here is the plan...
Tim Mahoney will perform on Thursday, February 25, as scheduled, with another act to be announced soon. We have already chosen some possible dates for a rescheduled GB Leighton show later this spring. As soon as that date is solid (and it should be soon), we will contact everyone who purchased tickets for the February show.
Keep an eye on the news section of the website and our Facebook page for the latest info, and please do not hesitate to call us with questions!
Laura Tahja Johnson Managing Director


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Wacko Bush
"The media won't let go of these ridiculous cocaine rumors,' I heard Bush say. 'You know, the truth is I honestly don't remember whether I tried it or not. We had some pretty wild parties back in the day, and I just don't remember.'
"I remember thinking to myself, How can that be? How can someone simply not remember whether or not they used an illegal substance like cocaine? It didn't make a lot of sense."
And yet, McClellan concludes, "I think he meant what he said in that conversation about cocaine. It's the first time when I felt I was witnessing Bush convincing himself to believe something that probably was not true, and that, deep down, he knew was not true. And his reason for doing so is fairly obvious — political convenience…"
McClellan also said that Bush went into Iraq because he had "dreams of greatness." As a psychiatric nurse, this news story really caught my attention. McClellan is describing Bush as a megalomaniac, and as a pathological liar. Just great! I was tired of all the news about the Democratic primaries, but this is really scary stuff. Bush always had "daddy issues," but this is too much to bear.
This isn't going to be a good year for the GOP. May they rest in peace.


text: Looking for a place to have a kids birthday party? Nothing says "happy birthday" quite like a bowling party, and North Bowl Lanes, conveniently located in the Foxboro area, is the perfect place to host it. North Bowl can host a party for kids of any age. With delicious home-made pizza, bowling, soft drinks and an awesome hostess fro every party, North Bowl provides the Foxboro area with the best kid's birthday parties around.


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Style Crush - Krista Perez from Sugar Love Chic
Happy Tuesday! It's been a couple of months since I featured my last style crush but I'm back on track with a cutie patootie from Miami. This week I'm style crushin' on Ms. Krista Perez from the blog Sugar Love Chic. I love her feminine style and the way she puts her looks together so effortlessly. I had a few questions for Krista about her style and advice for starting out as a new blogger. Check out her answers below.
Be sure to stop by Sugar Love Chic for more of Krista's style and follow her on her social media sites below.
Instagram: @KristaPerez
Twitter: @MsKristaPerez
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sugarlovechic
And be sure to follow me on mine below :)


text: Voices of Yellowstone (11:06) In this short documentary produced by the US National Park Service a bioacousticologist explains the acoustic monitoring of Yellowstone, US National park, which is not only rich in landscape features, but also a fascinating soundscape as well. This video provides some insight into the value of natural sounds in wild places and how the park is monitoring those sounds as well as the sounds created by humans. Source: YouTube


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WWE Smackdown Live results: John Cena steamrolls Baron Corbin with his outdated set of moves and Intercontinental champ Dean Ambrose enters Royal Rumble
Ambrose revealed he will be entering the 2017 event to battle the likes of Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg
JOHN CENA served up his critics the perfect match to hit him with in a drab showdown with hot young pretender Baron Corbin.
The pair should have raised their game with WWE champ AJ Styles sitting ringside and commentating on their efforts but the veteran rolled out the same three moves that guarantee a chant of "Cena sucks" to get the underwhelming pin.
Earlier in the night Dean Ambrose battered The Miz and announced his place in the 2017 Royal Rumble and American Alpha retained their tag titles with a win over the crumbling Wyatt Family.
Baron Corbin vs John Cena
Cena won this drab match with the same tired old trio of moves we have seen for too long.
Young pretender Corbin dominated the fight but – as we have come to expect with Cena – he showed superhero strength to fight back and win with a selection of spots that wouldn't go over with any other superstar.
There was no title on the line but WWE world champ AJ Styles was ringside for a spot of commentary and he will destroy Cena on the basis of this match.
The Lone Wolf took control from the bell and hurled the 15-time world champ outside the ring.
Corbin used all his boxing experience to keep Cena grounded, chinning the veteran with giant punches.
But Cena broke his way back into the match with a swinging tornado DDT that dropped the towering Corbin.
The sidewalk slam and five-knuckle shuffle predictably came next followed by the PG-rated Attitude Adjustor we have all come to dread.
Dean Ambrose – the WWE's new Intercontinental champion – kicked the show off by revealing he will be in the 2017 Royal Rumble to face stars like Brock Lesnar, Goldberg and the Undertaker.
And his on-going enemy The Miz came out to reveal he's also throwing his hat into the 30-man tournament on January 29.
Miz then attacked the former Shield man but he came unstuck and tasted a Dirty Deeds before the Lunatic Fringe strolled off with his old belt.
Natalya vs Nikki Bella
Natalya and Nikki Bella's match never even got underway as the vicious enemies went to war outside of competition in a fist-fight.
The former best friends were supposed to face-off again in a straight-forward WWE singles match but Bella hit an instant spear before the bell even chimed.
After a scuffle outside the ring, Natalya rammed her rival into the barricade and battered her back into the ring.
Natalya then locked in a ruthless Sharpshooter leg-lock that left Bella sprawled out on the floor surrounded by concerned referees.
Kalisto vs Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler lost out to Kalisto in a surprise defeat but got his revenge with a savage chair attack that also left Apollo Crews in a an agonising heap.
The masked Mexican took it to the Show-Off at the start of their one-on-one match, despite being by far the smaller man in the ring.
The Lucha master hit an early hurricanrana before Ziggler started making his size count with some heavy-handed offence.
The two-time heavyweight champ hit a huge drop kick on Kalisto but the pocket-rocket caught him with a crucifix roll-up pin for a shock win.
Ziggler lost his rag and steamed into Kalisto, beating him with his bare hands before appear to walk away.
But a steel chair caught his eye and he returned to the ring and batted the little fella until Crews came out to even things up.
Ziggler used the same twisted metal chair on Crews who – like Kalisto - was left in a pile as the chair-shots rained down on their backs.
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American Alpha vs The Wyatt Family – tag-team titles
The Wyatts dropped the chance to reclaim their tag-team titles and left their fragile union looking in tatters after Luke Harper accidentally hit a super-kick on leader Bray Wyatt.
WWE tag champions Jason Jordan and Chad Gable gave Randy Orton and Cult leader Bray Wyatt the chance to retain their belts after their shock defeat two weeks previously.
Harper was reduced to spectator status on the edge of the ring but his presence alone was enough to make the fight unfair.
Alpha used their athletic experience to nullify Orton's attacks but Wyatt's brutality was hard to evade.
Orton savaged Gable outside the ring with two sidewalk slams onto the safety barricade that would have bent the champ's spine out of shape.
Gable's agony was prolonged by Wyatt – and Orton's springboard suplex - but it only built expectation for Jordan's impending arrival.
When the big man flew in he cleaned house and hit spears on both opponents.
Jordan went to the top rope but Harper distracted him and he was soon on the deck outside the ring at the mercy of the Wyatts.
A giant running senton from Bray looked to have won the belts back but Jordan kicked out and responded with a giant clothesline.
Gable and Orton were then tagged in and went to war with Gable hitting a Northern Lights suplex and a top-rope clothesline before Orton took control.
Just as the Viper was ready to hit an RKO, Harper needlessly interfered and let Orton get rolled up.
The two were on the verge of exploding before Bray Wyatt calmed the explosive situation before accidentally copping a super-kick from Harper. The oddball trio all left seperately.
Carmella vs CJ Lunde
Carmella beat Susan Boyle lookalike CJ Lunde in an one-sided match with the help of James Ellsworth.
The Statton Island star hit her Code of Silence finisher early on to bring to an end an odd and empty affair.