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Krista Tippett, host: I'm Krista Tippett. Today, "An Architecture of Decency." We travel to the Rural Studio in western Alabama, a program that draws architectural students into the design and construction of elegant, sustainable buildings in some of the poorest counties in the United States. This is architecture as a social art.
Mr. Andrew Freear: It's students and architects understanding the bigger, broader societal responsibilities that they can have and take on. I mean, we shape the environment. I mean, for west Alabama, we're incredibly optimistic. We want people to dream about having a better world. And that's what better to have than a bunch of 22-year-olds who are just, you know, walk through walls to try and make it happen. And it becomes infectious. People love to be part of it.
Ms. Tippett: This is Speaking of Faith. Stay with us.
Ms. Tippett: I'm Krista Tippett. This hour, we travel to western Alabama. Scattered across it are some 75 works of livable art: beautiful, economical homes and public buildings. They are the products of an architectural adventure called the Rural Studio. This is architecture as a "social art," as a force for repairing the fabric of human community as well as the natural world.
From American Public Media, this is Speaking of Faith, public radio's conversation about religion, meaning, ethics, and ideas. Today, "An Architecture of Decency," part of "Consumed," a series on sustainability from this and other American Public Media programs.
(Sound bite from building site)
Ms. Tippett: The Rural Studio was co-founded at Alabama's Auburn University in 1993 by the late legendary architect Samuel Mockbee together with Dennis Ruth, then head of the Auburn Architectural School. Mockbee was a fifth-generation white Mississippian known as "Sambo," who left a much-lauded private practice to pursue his sense of architecture as a "social art." In its early years, the rural studio focused on the construction of private homes designed around improbable materials that had been used, donated or discarded: plastered bales of hay, used tires, carpet sample tiles. But they aspired to the highest standards of design and durability.
Samuel Mockbee liked to say that "everybody wants the same thing, rich or poor…not only a warm dry room but a shelter for the soul." Though he died in 2001, his philosophy and vision still infused the Rural Studio's work today. Here he is describing the educational concept behind it.
Mr. Samuel Mockbee: (archival audio) Architecture is broad based, but at the heart of architecture is a social order that has to exist that architecture works with. And so in order to expose students to that social order that exists, it becomes at some point in their education becomes necessary for them to leave the classroom, as I like to say, of the university and enter the classroom of a community, and to leave an abstract world to a world of reality.
Ms. Tippett: In 2002, Andrew Freear succeeded Samuel Mockbee as the director and guiding architect of the Rural Studio. He'll be our guide this hour, and we'll also hear from the Studio's student architects and their local clients and community partners.
This part of western of Alabama belongs to what is known as the Black Belt of the South. It's been memorialized in modern American history and literature as a crucible of slavery, racial turmoil, and intense poverty. The landscape here is stunningly beautiful vast and lush rolling hills, fields of grazing cattle, catfish ponds, pine forests. Two gorgeous rivers, the Black Warrior and the Cahaba, are saluted with oak trees draped in Spanish moss and kudzu vines. Yet venture down one of the brilliant red clay roads and you find poverty tucked inside this beauty. Extended families packed into one-bedroom shacks and rusted mobile homes with septic systems that often leaked into their drinking water. I asked Andrew Freear, who was originally from England, how he experiences these contrasts.
Mr. Freear: I mean I think one of the things that always distresses me a little bit is that the descriptions of the Black Belt and west Alabama are always, they're always biased towards the social and political strife and some of the poverty. And of course there is an extraordinary sort of burden of history, but from my point of view, I found a place where there is sort of an extraordinary optimism. I mean, there there, um, you may well, when you were looking at the Rural Studio stuff, have come across a lady called Alberta Bryant
Ms. Tippett: Right.
Mr. Freear: who was actually one of the first clients, well the first client for the first project. She is struck down by diabetes and has lost both of her legs. But I never wish to meet somebody with a greater sense of humor, greater dignity than this woman.
Ms. Tippett: Tell me about the house that Rural Studio built for her.
Mr. Freear: Well, it was, it was the first one. And it was made of straw bales and it was covered in stucco. And it's a project that very much has Samuel Mockbee's hands all over it. It's very, very clever. It's a kind of, I would say, it's sort of got the classic Southern porch, the great family room on the exterior. It's very, very simple inside two very simple bedrooms and a bathroom. And then, these sort of three wonderful little sort of wagon wheels that stick out of the back that have very, very small circular rooms so the nephews and nieces could come and sort of lay down in.
It's very smart, you know? They sort of they can be used for stories; they can be used in different ways. But fundamentally, they were about the extended family. And even today, I don't know which generation it is that's running in and out of that house. But if you go down there, you'll find the kids in those little sort of nooks in the back of the house, enjoying them. It's very beautiful.
Ms. Tippett: Where was she living before?
Mr. Freear: They were living in a back to the kind of characterized west Alabama landscape they were living in a broken-down shack, literally right next to the building. It didn't have any running water, didn't have any electricity. And it's extraordinary that in 20-, 21st-century United States of America, that you can find those sorts of conditions.
Ms. Lucy Harris: This is my bedroom with the skylight. And I also have a breeze what do you call that, Ben?
Mr. Ben Cannard: I don't know what to call that. I think it was"
Ms. Harris: Yes, it open up once it gets to a certain temperature of the house. As it gets hot in here, then it open up and let the air come in.
Ms. Tippett: Lucy Harris is the daughter of Alberta Bryant, and she's also a client of the Rural Studio. When we went to see her, we also ran into Ben Cannard, one of the architectural students who built Lucy's house five years ago. He was visiting from Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Kim. Here, it becomes clear how the Rural Studio nurtures human connection and community even when it's designing individual custom-made houses. Lucy Harris's house was constructed around 72,000 stacked carpet tiles, and it is known as the Carpet House.
Ms. Harris: You know, everybody that come, they'd just be amazed at this house made out of carpet. They can't believe it, you know. Go ahead, Ben.
Mr. Cannard: I was just going to say, it's the walls, the carpet walls are about 19 inches thick. And that's all solid material. So it's very, very easy to maintain heat in it, even though there's a large window on the front. It takes up about half of one of the sides of the house. So, yeah, it's really quiet and really easy to heat.
Ms. Harris: I tell you, the house, you know, it just, when you go in, you just, a peace in my house. It's just a comfortable place to stay, you know? That's what built this house up. You know, it was built out of love and compassion, you know, and caring for one another. Because even, you know, now, I didn't know Ben was coming down. I didn't know him and Kim was coming down, but, you know, they became a part of my family. And we always stay in contact with each other. And I love them as, just like I love my children.
Mr. Cannard: One of my favorite memories of the project and working was, on a weekly basis, you would come and be on site with us and pray over us.
Ms. Harris: Amen.
Mr. Cannard: And it's, that continues every time we come to visit this. There's always a parting prayer. And it's like a blanket.
Ms. Harris: Amen.
Ms. Tippett: These days, the Rural Studio is working on a different kind of private home, a prototype known as the 20K House. Rural Studio director Andrew Freear says this might eventually invigorate the local construction industry.
Mr. Freear: It's a house that's inspired by a rural development grant that is given out, I guess I should describe it as a $20,000 loan. And it's to the poorest of the poor, typically, those that are on the welfare, and they can qualify for this loan. And the prerequisite of the loan is that you go and you use this loan to build yourself a home. So what we have said is let's see what we can actually build ourselves for $10,000 in materials, understanding that our labor is free. So we build into that, you know? There is an assumption that the other $10,000 would go to overhead and to costs and to, for some degree of profit for a builder.
And we've just finished the third one, which I would say it's about 800 square feet. And I think it's a really beautiful thing. What we have an opportunity to do at the Rural Studio is that we can actually go and explore something like this and not lose our shirt. I mean, in some respect, I think in academia, we have a responsibility. I have students who are sort of free labor at the moment, with all of these different ideas. And so we're going out there and testing them and trying to come up with the right $20,000 house. And we're looking in the future, I hope in the next two or three years, to have, to let a builder build these things and to have them scattered around Hale County. So it's actually pretty ambitious.
Ms. Tippett: Well, would they all be the same?
Mr. Freear: I mean, it's, you know, for $10,000 in materials, it's very difficult to say that they can all be the same. I think what we would hope is that the client begins to personalize them. But the one we've just done, I think, is spectacular. I think it could last 150 years. It's very, it's very smart, it's lifted off the ground, it only touches the ground in six places, there's a minimal use of concrete, it's really highly insulated, it has good ventilation, it's got a beautiful outdoor space, and it's very clever.
And I mean, I, we've built on these idea over the last three years and I, my hope, really and truly genuinely, is that not only can we help sort of solve some of the housing problems in west Alabama, but it will also give somebody a job, that a builder will begin to go and make a living doing this and give jobs to other people.
Ms. Tippett: Who's going to be living in that house you just described to me?
Mr. Freear: We have, in that particular house, are a couple of brothers. And we started to look at the way that people lived in west Alabama. And there's an awful lot of sort of situations or conditions of extended families. And you'd often find a mother or a grandmother with a daughter or a daughter-in-law living with a younger child. So there would be sort of different generations living together. And it's not often that architects sort of responds to that kind of family dynamic. And so the two brothers living together actually is sort of an ideal condition. And we will watch how they live in it, because that's, the other thing is that we give this house away. These are, these are experiments. So they're given away.
Ms. Tippett: And then you learn from what happens.
Mr. Freear: And we sit back and watch and we listen and we learn and, you know? It's, this worked and this didn't work. And so next year, we'll build on that conversation and improve on that.
Ms. Tippett: Joe Moore is one of the brothers who lives in that 20k House, and he gave us a tour.
Mr. Joe Moore: OK. This is our living room. That's where we sit, where we watch TV over there. This is where we sit. This is our eating table. This is our sink, sitting by the stove, and the stove sitting by the refrigerator. This is our cabinets over here. As everybody says, they look like cubbyholes. And you can take it and you can fix anything up, make it look like you want. I'll let you all see the other side too. This is our screened-in porch. And it's real, real nice to have. This is my brother's, his living quarters.
OK. Y'all come on in. He has his bedroom. He has what I call a small refrigerator. He has his little sink. He has his bed, and he has his little bathroom back here. It's real nice. We really enjoy it. We wouldn't take nothing for it because we, we, you know, we lived in an old house. The house we lived in was probably about 100 years old. It's over 100 years old. You know, watching them put a house together, that, that was a sight, you know? Really and truly, I come over here every day just to see what they'd done. A lot of times we'd come two or three times a day, you know? They told us that they really appreciated us showing that kind of interest. And it really made them work harder. I love to hear the rain hitting that rooftop too. That's, that'll put you to sleep.
Ms. Tippett: You can take a visual tour of Joe Moore's 20k House and Lucy Harris' Carpet House at our Web site, speakingoffaith.org. I'm Krista Tippett. And this is Speaking of Faith from American Public Media. Today, "An Architecture of Decency." We're at the Rural Studio of Auburn University in western Alabama, an experiment in architecture as a social art and a force for sustainability.
In recent years, the Rural Studio has focused more on designing and building public spaces. From a children's center to a farmers' market, from a park to a basketball court. This has involved a sensitive interface with civic leaders and local government. But it is very much in keeping with current director Andrew Freear's philosophy of architecture. He was trained, as he puts it, by architects who literally rebuilt England after World War II. And so in a kindred but different sense than Rural Studio founder Samuel Mockbee, Andrew Freear brings a vision of architecture as a world-changing, world-shaping profession.
Mr. Freear: What the beautiful thing for me about that is that you, obviously, if you make a piece of public architecture, you have the opportunity to touch more people. I mean, last year we worked on a 40-acre public park in west Alabama. We were engaged with the hospital in Greensboro Hale County Hospital and we worked on the Hale County Animal Shelter. And I would argue, in those three buildings, we've touched more people in those three buildings than we previously did perhaps with all of the projects that we've ever done.
And I, you know, the projects get bigger and there's some criticism with the projects getting bigger. But I think that the, you might, if I whisper it, I, it might suggest that I'm a socialist. And I, I believe, I do believe in the public realm. I believe in good local and central government and I believe in the role that they can play.
Ms. Tippett: And that's a good Yorkshire tradition as opposed to an Alabama tradition.
Mr. Freear: Perhaps, yeah. But I mean, I think that there are also tremendous local politicians even in the place that I'm working, that doesn't, perhaps, have any great tradition of that who are incredibly public and civic minded and are struggling against such deep, ingrained lack. I mean, very often, we're taking on public projects simply because there's a little bit of money, but there's not enough money to actually hire somebody to do the job, you know? Or to do it well enough. And we're able because of, you know, essentially the free, the labor of the students and our intensity and the sort of the gift of our time to make that money go much further and even be able to employ local contractors because the projects are big enough where you can actually say, 'Look, you can come and do the roof for us.' And so, that money starts to be spent and spread much further. And I think it I hope that everybody wins, you know. The local communities enjoy, get to enjoy the fruits of the projects; the students get a terrific education. It allows us to bring people together who would never, ever under normal circumstances come together. And that's just a terrific joy, honestly.
Ms. Tippett: Civic leaders Robbie Hoggle and Don Ballard have been working closely with student architect Dan Splaingard for the last two years on a community park, Lion's Park, in Greensboro, Alabama.
Mr. Robbie Hoggle: With the formation of the planning committee and Auburn University Rural Studio guidance, we were able to submit an application to the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, which is an outreach of Major League Baseball.
Mr. Dan Splaingard: It was inherently complicated because it was going to be the county, the city, the Lion's Club, the rodeo, the baseball, everybody involved. It seemed like a role where the Studio could actually do some good by stepping in and just putting some designs on the table and making people talk. And not necessarily coming up with all the answers but at least present the questions to get people thinking about solutions.
Mr. Don Ballard: And once Auburn stepped in, started doing some designing of, you know, what we would like, we looked at it, we talked about it, we voted on it. Each little part of the park has been talked about, scrutinized, re-looked at, come back with another plan of the backstops here. You'll never see a, I have never seen a backstop with this type of design. And when you get off and you're in the field playing, and when you see the big backstop the way it is, you think you're in a stadium somewhere. You know, I get that feeling.
Mr. Hoggle: One thing for certain when these kids get out here playing baseball, they're not black and they're not white. They're baseball players. And with the joint planning committee and everyone working together and leaning in the same direction, in the 44 years that I've been in Greensboro, it's been by far the most positive unifying single activity that's happened.
Mr. Splaingard: Yeah, I think like you, just geographic location of the park is coincidence in a way but also strategic and that it's not in that sort of polarized 'this is a white neighborhood, this is black neighborhood.' It's just a big piece of land on the south end of the city.
Mr. Hoggle: We actually had a lady from Baseball Tomorrow to fly down and come to the opening ceremonies. And we're out here looking at, she was looking around, and actually we have four full-size fields and two smaller tee-ball fields. So we can actually have six games going on at a time. And one of her comments was, you know, we, before we've never gotten six fields for $100,000. So they were very pleased with what we were able to produce with the funds that they provided.
Mr. Ballard: As you can see or hear, there are kids out there right now practicing football on a baseball field. They play their games on a regulation football field, but this is the only grassy area here in Greensboro where you can scrimmage. And so, you know, you're building a quality of life for everybody in this area.
(Sound bite of children playing)
Mr. Freear: Well, I think all that we're trying to do is the right thing. I mean, there's many things that we can do in west Alabama and we try to enjoy life. I mean, I think the act and the art of building is such a positive and optimistic thing. I mean, just seeing something come out of the ground is incredible. One of the really beautiful things about a place like west Alabama is that there are many, many antebellum homes still remaining in west Alabama. And many of the homes that were built
Ms. Tippett: The big white houses
Mr. Freear: You know, the big white houses, absolutely, are tremendously well built, very, very cleverly built. And they've survived, not just because they're big white house and that they're cared for, but because they were very smart. They have big roofs. They're very well ventilated. They have big porches. They have big window openings, you know? And they're held off the ground. And our students go and look at them every day. And it's not to sort of copy the big white architecture but it's to sort of think about the street smarts of it. I mean, today, our contemporary society is housing people in tin cans, where there are very few openings. Everybody has the air conditioner. You have two seasons. You have the air conditioning season and you have the heating season.
Ms. Tippett: Right.
Mr. Freear: And it's dreadful and it's very unsocial, and there's no community to it. And it's very sad that we have, you know, we've forgotten how to live, I think. If anything, I hope that our 20K House can battle against that and, you know, we can't afford to run all of these air conditioning units; so we've got to figure out natural ways to do it
Ms. Tippett: Right.
Mr. Freear: and rediscover just what the Romans and the Greeks did. And my goodness sake, you don't have to look back very far, even into west Alabama, to see that they survived without air conditioning pretty damned well.
Ms. Tippett: Right.
Ms. Tippett: This is Speaking of Faith. After a short break, we'll hear about the Rural Studio's advances in what Andrew Freear calls zero-maintenance construction. They're also recycling entire buildings, creating something new while preserving history and memory.
We've captured our conversations in Alabama for you through photography, video, and sound. You might start with out interactive map of the area, which gives a sense of place and the vast amount of space the Rural Studio projects span. You can even read our "road trip" blog. Download an MP3 of this program and explore at speakingoffaith.org.
I'm Krista Tippett. Stay with us. Speaking of Faith comes to you from American Public Media.
Ms. Tippett: Welcome back to Speaking of Faith, public radio's conversation about religion, meaning, ethics, and ideas. I'm Krista Tippett. Today, "An Architecture of Decency," part of "Consumed," a series on consumer culture and sustainability on this and other American Public Media programs.
We're at the Rural Studio of Auburn University in western Alabama, a program that draws architectural students into the design and construction of elegant, economical buildings in some of the poorest counties in the United States. We're exploring what happens here as an example of sustainability, both material and spiritual and driven by architectural principles. The visionary architect who founded the Rural Studio in 1993, Samuel Mockbee, was haunted by what he saw as the unfinished business of reconstruction in the South.
Dick Hudgens has an architectural practice in Selma, Alabama. And he also teaches the history of architecture at the Rural Studio. He does this, as he puts it, "three-dimensionally."
Mr. Dick Hudgens: Well, some of the houses we see, that we tour, were built right before the Civil War. And I think, if you know the history of the Black Belt in west Alabama, it's one of the poorest areas in the nation now, but not then, not in the 1840s and '50s, particularly 1850s. It was one of the most prosperous parts of the nation. And the houses had to work with the climate without any kind of artificial systems. And I think a lot of architecture students today tend to take artificial systems for granted and don't consider orientation, climate, and sun angles, and prevailing winds, and things like that.
And so these houses are great a document on how to build with simple systems to work with the climate. You know, they've survived, they've lasted and they have certain principles and certain truths you might even use the term architectural truths that are still valid today. And so I emphasize proportion, quality of light and how that impacts design. And then the other thing that I try to emphasize is slavery and the effect of slavery on architecture. And this, and just about all those buildings we see, would not be possible if it were not for slavery. It's a direct result of that.
And so you can't teach architectural history as just buildings. You got to understand what was going on socially, culturally. I don't know that I could ever have anyone that I teach fully understand slavery. I don't know that I fully understand it myself. But it's a subject that has to be talked about. I mean, it's just embedded into everybody's history in America. And so, if you can understand how people can create great beauty being in that kind of situation, that's like a triumph for spirit.
For example, some of these beautiful curving spiral staircases all the little, small pieces of wood are put together and creates this wonderful volute at the end of the stair for the railing and that kind of thing. And I'm telling the students, 'Well, you build that with just hand tools. How do you do that?' It's a mystery. I still don't quite understand it. And it's just as important to see the slave houses, which we do see some of those. And we see the outbuildings and the cookhouses and the kitchens and things like that to understand that whole dynamic.
Ms. Tippett: Recently, the Rural Studio has begun to experiment with recycling older buildings to create architecture that is at once traditional and new. Again, Rural Studio director, Andrew Freear.
Mr. Freear: We've taken buildings that probably other people would tear down and said, well, no, this building has some value. What can we put our time and energy into this building to remake it, reuse it, and make it useful to contemporary life? That also doesn't mean that that building disappears, so the sort of the collective memory. I mean, we can't just throw things away. The easiest thing is not to just throw things away. So we've really concentrated on remaking and reusing. We've rebuilt a church. We actually literally demolished a church and used between 70 and 80 percent of the materials. And
Ms. Tippett: So you took it down, but you then reused the materials for a completely different structure?
Mr. Freear: Exactly. The congregation knew and understand that. And there's
Ms. Tippett: You actually retained the history while also doing something completely new.
Mr. Freear: Absolutely. And I think, typically, anybody else would have just pushed into a pile and burnt it. And we took the time to recycle it and plane off some of the white paint that was on the church and reuse it. And they loved that. They know that. They feel that. And that, I think, and spiritually, is incredibly important. And I, the issue that comes up when you do recycle and you take chances on some of these materials and you do experiments is that they may fail or they may have to be refinished. And in a place where there's no money from maintenance, our sort of focus, particularly with some of the public buildings, has been to say, 'Well, look, I can't guarantee that we can come back and rebuild this
Ms. Tippett: Right.
Mr. Freear: or the people can afford the paint to repaint this.' So we try not to do that. We try to literally use materials that have a natural lifespan of their own that's as long as we can possibly find. But they don't rely on any level of maintenance. And that's just, that's, it's incredibly important. It's really been borne of necessity.
(Sound bite of building site)
Ms. Tippett: You used a phrase so that you're aiming for zero-maintenance structures. But I mean, what an amazing concept. I mean, talk about sustainability, which is now a catchword for everyone.
Mr. Freear: Well, we use the term sustainability with a small "s." There's always a lot of questions. People come and see the work and say, well, you know, why aren't you using composting toilets? Or why aren't you using solar panels? And the truth of the matter is, is not just that the sort of the huge sort of upfront costs of things like that. But the fact of the matter is that I am better off making sure that if I put in a septic system, that the local people can fix it if it fails. And for me, that's sustainability with a small "s." It's not trying to reinvent the wheel. It's simply recognizing the capabilities of local people when they're dealing with essential services.
And it, perhaps that's not particularly ambitious. But you have to choose your moments with those things, I think. I mean, if all of the discussion about how the forms and things of the Rural Studio are strange and look very different to contemporary life, at the Rural Studio, we very rarely actually have a conversation about the sort of the stylistic nature of the architecture.
It's, more often, it's about, well, how do I decide which material to use here? And often, the forms are actually driven by the materials, the fact, for example the, you know, corrugated tin, it's easier to cut it one way than it is to cut it the other way. So somehow, the form and the shape and the, kind of the grain of the material can actually begin to generate the form of the building. You respond to the type of material that you're using. And it, very rarely do we say, well, you know, I want to do a tower because it looks cool.
(Sound bite of building site)
Ms. Tippett: View an audio slide show of the students' design critique and see other buildings they're creating at speakingoffaith.org. I'm Krista Tippett, and this is Speaking of Faith from American Public Media. This hour, we're in western Alabama at the Rural Studio, a model of sustainability driven by an architectural vision.
(Sound bite of building site)
Mr. Freear: Another thing that we've really tried to do relative to sustainability out here is to understand the long-term sustainability of the programming. Because if you give somebody a public building
Ms. Tippett: Right.
Mr. Freear: if there's no money for the long-term programming of that, the building will fail if it's empty. And I've been, you know, extraordinarily proud over the last few years of how, really, 50 percent of the work that our students do is working on the programming of the building, the long-term survival of the building, which is not just about the architecture. It's about who's going to work here, how are we going to fund this, getting into the grant writing, getting into the talking to different organizations who will be getting involved to make sure that they have enough legs to help us help the building survive, and what happens inside it
Ms. Tippett: And it is there a synergistic relationship? I mean, do you think that having an architecture of decency, that's one of the terms that's used with this
Mr. Freear: Yeah.
Ms. Tippett: having "an architecture of decency" housing a program, is that also something that strengthens and supports the program?
Mr. Freear: It's responsible. I mean, it's responsibility at the root of it. I mean, in Hale County, we're just building an animal shelter. And I think that the students spent their entire first term educating the client as to what they needed to do to offer the citizens of Hale County an animal shelter in terms of liability, in terms of insurance, in terms of collecting money to make sure that this thing worked. And that's just part of the responsibility that I think that architects need to accept.
I mean, we, before Sambo died, we used to talk about the education of a citizen-architect. And I think it's students and architects understanding the bigger, broader societal responsibilities that they can have and take on. I mean, we shape the environment, you know, when planning and planners were so sort of badly mauled in the '60s and the '70s, they've lost their sort of ability to dream about the way that we live. And if, so if we don't have those folks doing that, that means probably that the architects are the only ones who can be the societal dreamers.
I mean, for west Alabama, we're incredibly optimistic. We want people to dream about having a better world. And that's, you know, what better to have than a bunch of 22-year-olds who are just, you know, have got so much energy and will walk through walls to try and make it happen? And it becomes infectious. People love to be part of it. I mean, they just, the people are just being blown away by the energy and commitment and enthusiasm that students bring to these projects.
I mean, you know, in the last few years, the students taking on these community projects have actually virtually accepted that the project will take two years, even though, technically, they're only out here for a year's education. So they graduate on May the 5th, and then they spend an extra year building and finishing off their projects just because they want to. And that's like, wow, you know, what a young person that is to
Ms. Tippett: Right.
Mr. Freear: walk off into the world having shown that they can make that kind of commitment to the world and to society? And that's just, for me, it gives me goosebumps that they'll do that.
Ms. Whitney Hall: Boys and Girls Clubs have to be located on, city-owned property in order for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to come in and take over. And we've been really working with the town closely for the past year and a half on getting a client base together, basically, a group of citizens that will oversee the project, and will take over the project when we leave, and help raise funds for it, and help run the club.
Mr. Danny Wicke: When you have a town of 512 people and you're building the largest building in town, it's hard for people to miss what's going on. And so everyone's pretty aware.
Ms. Hall: We've been in parades. We were in their homecoming parade last year. And we're in their Christmas parade. It's really a great scene. They all come by and wave to us. They know who we are.
Ms. Tippett: You know, the word charity is a word that Samuel Mockbee used. And I think the word itself has become problematic.
Mr. Freear: Yeah, yeah.
Ms. Tippett: But it does the reason it's become problematic also have to do with kind of a fine line between helping other people and being paternalistic.
Mr. Freear: Yeah.
Ms. Tippett: You know, between making lives better
Mr. Freear: Yeah, guilt.
Ms. Tippett: Right. How do you, you know, is that a line you walk? How do you think about this?
Mr. Freear: For my students, we don't really talk about it being charity, I'll be actually frank to you. The, what we see as being the exchange that's taking place here is that our client is a good and willing and interested and observant and rigorous and questioning client. And that's the privilege that we have in that situation. Yes, we will work with you. We want to listen to you. We want you to be very critical about what we do. Don't just say give us anything.
And we work with people who don't know what an architect does, so we have to educate them as to what an architect can bring to a situation. We educate them to understand drawings, to engage in a conversation about spaces, to engage in, you know, the question of, what do you want? When people have never been asked what they want. We make lots of models. We make lots of perspectives, so people can begin, or at least try to begin, to imagine themselves in that place, because they have never been asked to do that before. They've never been asked to imagine before. And that's an amazing situation to be in as a student, I think.
Ms. Tippett: You know, if you look at what you've learned or gotten out of this or if you look at the place, not really the students, I think you've talked a lot about the students, but the people in the region or that part of Alabama, I think you're now in a, you're an honorary citizen of Marion, Alabama? Is that right? How do you think about that? When, you know, what words would you put to what the worth of this is, why it matters?
Mr. Freear: I mean, I suppose to my teachers in London or in England, I, they were able to make such large, sweeping, bold moves. And in west Alabama, what you really appreciate is small victories, very incremental interventions. And there's no money to do huge, great master plans and huge, great visions. But what you do is just sort of one, little piece at a time. For example, we were just working in a public park, Lion's Park. And there was an area of asphalt, and I always say the word asphalt wrong. Asphalt, asphalt, asphalt.
Ms. Tippett: Asphalt, yes.
Mr. Freear: My students love that. The, we wanted to take automobiles out of the park, and our inclination was to tear up that piece of asphalt. And the local judge said, no, you just, we can't do that. You know, that represented a substantial public investment and, for us. And you have to understand that I, for one, don't think that you should do that. And what that forced us to do was to begin to make creative interventions into that piece of asphalt that was a parking lot and is no longer a parking lot. It's now a pedestrian surface. And our students have begun to imagine ways of dealing with that surface and putting planting in that surface that softens it, that stops it taking in so much heat, makes it more beautiful.
And he challenged us. And if he just said, tear it up, we'd have torn it up, but he said, No, this was a value. And for me, it was just a marvelous example of a, you know, local politician saying, doing the right thing and provoking us into thinking laterally about the way we were going to deal with our preconceptions of this surface, because everybody thinks of asphalt as being, it's automobiles. And our students have been provoked into this situation of making a surface that will be unlike any surface anywhere in the world. And, you know
Ms. Tippett: OK.
Mr. Freear: You know, it'll be changed completely. But it's those small changes and valuing what exists, that you can't just go in there and tear it up and start again with everything. And I enjoy that sort of, or I delight in the sort of the beginning to sort of fix the fabric, you know, sew together in very, very small ways, both architecturally, but also sort of community-wise and
Ms. Tippett: Mm-hmm. And families and individuals' lives as well as
Mr. Freear: Absolutely. That, it's the sustainable aspect of that. You know, maybe if we have a good public park in West Alabama, kids will stay in West Alabama. I mean, Don Ballard who works for Alabama Power locally and is on the Lions Park committee, you know, his family have gone off to university and all that. And he's a local guy who's got involved with this park. And his, he has nothing to gain from this other than he wants to make Greensboro a really good place to live. He doesn't feel that it needs to get a Nissan plant or a Toyota plant. He just wants it to be a good place with a good education and good public parks. He comes to public meetings. He'll be at a public meeting on Monday night to talk about the future of the park and what our students are doing. And he steps up and says, you know, we should do this because it's the right thing to do for our town.
Ms. Tippett: Right.
Mr. Freear: He's just incredible.
Ms. Tippett: A citizen meeting you, citizen-architects.
Mr. Freear: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Mr. Ballard: The young men and women that's in their fifth year, some of them graduated in May. And they committed staying here until this project was completely done. They could be using their degree making money in the real world, but they opt to commit to getting this part of the project done, and which they did. This whole park is still a, you know
Mr. Hoggle: Work in progress.
Mr. Ballard: work in progress. And it's going to take a little bit more time to get it done. But it's so much better than what it was.
Ms. Nourah Said: Well, after I finish architectural school, hopefully, in another three years, I'm hoping to go back to Kuwait and take everything I've learned from here and apply it there.
Mr. Anthony Tindell: You know, the root of the whole thing is to make someone's life better in some way. And the reason, you know, that the projects are so successful and they get a lot of the acclaim that they do as pieces of architecture, I think, really just grows from that. It's pretty easy to make good architecture, I think, when you have the right intent behind it.
Ms. Jennifer Magnolfi: I'll never forget one time when I was here, I was, it was just probably like in the first week as a thesis student. And we were all so arrogant and we all thought we rule the world. And we just didn't have a clue because we were young seniors. And this guy from the town just came by and had a big hammer and another big tool. And he said, 'Which one of you can frame a window?' And all of us just shut up. None of us knew how to build something that we could detail and draw and form in so many different ways. But we just couldn't do it. And for me, that was one of the most memorable moments of, sort of a humbling experience. But from that, you grow.
Mr. Splaingard: There's a phrase that Sambo used to, used a lot that still is around the Studio a lot, which is, "Proceed and be bold." There is a lot of moments for all of us in this project where we were in over our heads. The funding wasn't coming through. We almost lost our grant. We'd screw up waterlines, you know, the lights wouldn't turn on. All these bad things happened. But once you get a track record of just proceeding and being bold, you kind of get used to it. This is how we attack problems, and we just keep going.
Ms. Jennifer Bonner: And I think, given the opportunity, I think communities do pull through. And, you know, you have to believe that.
Mr. Splaingard: I mean, that's been a lesson from this project is what it feels like to take on something bigger than you think you can do and end up doing it. And it's not by virtue of one person's brilliance and endurance. It's by everyone kind of
Mr. Ballard: Working together.
Mr. Splaingard: being in together and rowing that boat forward 'til you get there.
Ms. Lucy Harris: Even one man here that came in here told me that, so he got a house with so many rooms. You know, he got a big house and all. And he told me, he said he'll give it to me for my Carpet House. I told him, I said, No. I keep my Carpet House and he could keep what he got because this was built special for me. You know, and I thank God for it.
Ms. Tippett: The Rural Studio is based in Newbern, Alabama, and is a program of the Auburn University School of Architecture. Andrew Freear is its director and an Auburn associate professor.
Ms. Tippett: Explore the Rural Studio as a social experiment and an architectural adventure at our Web site, speakingoffaith.org. Some of the most iconic Rural Studio structures are tucked away in Mason's Bend. And they have names like the Carpet House, the Glass Chapel, and the Butterfly House. See these warm, dry, and noble buildings in our sound/scene audio slideshow. And we invite you into our studio, so to speak, by offering an MP3 of my unedited interview with Andrew Freear. You can also download this program the way you choose through our Web site, podcast, or weekly e-mail newsletter. As always, we'd love to hear your reflections on the program. And this week, we're especially interested in your ideas about the consumer's dilemma. Go to our Web site, speakingoffaith.org.
The senior producer of Speaking of Faith is Mitch Hanley, with producers Colleen Scheck, Shiraz Janjua, and Jody Abramson, and assistance from Anna Marsh. Our online editor is Trent Gilliss. Bill Buzenberg is our consulting editor. Special thanks for this program go to Michelle Coomes, Linda Shook, David Buege and Dan Splaingard as well as other students, staff, and clients of the Rural Studio. Kate Moos is the managing producer of Speaking of Faith. And I'm Krista Tippett.


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Topic: How to achieve "fat models"
I have been told through various sources to "make my models fat," i.e. take some of the logic out of my controllers and views, and stick it in my models.
Fine. I tried to do that. What I seemed to have found out is, nothing works. ActiveRecords don't seem to like being anything other than an interface to a database table.
One example - I wanted to zero-out the ActiveRecord object in question if the user_id for the user logged-in didn't match up with the user_id for the record he requested and loaded up. Pseudo-code follows:
# inside an ActiveRecord model
def validate_or_zero_out user_id
if user_id != @user_id
@var1 = @var2 = @var3 = nil
Nope, doesn't work. Other things don't work when I've moved them from the controller to the model either.
Question: If ActiveRecords are simply glorified database rows, how are "fat models" to be achieved? Am I missing something?
Last edited by rex.goxman (2012-06-02 19:37:21)

subset: commoncrawl


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Jesse Box jigsaw puzzles are colorful high quality wooden puzzles that are laser cut. Besides being colorful and fun to put together, each puzzle contains several "whimsies", specially shaped puzzle pieces that depict characters or symbols related to the Bible story.
(48 piece high quality wooden puzzle with special character pieces, ages 7+, 8.5x11 in)
Ideal for kids 6 to 12. Great activity for families, classrooms, or parishes
Written by Jean M. Frisk
An Advent book for people caught up in the hectic pre-Christmas season. By investing only a few minutes a day, readers can walk with Mary on her journey to Bethlehem. M. Jean Frisk's warm and engaging writing provides an Advent themes to ponder each day, along with a suggestion for action and prayer. This book also contains helpful material on Advent and Christmas customs sure to enrich one's celebration of this joyful season! Begin a wonderful Advent season tradition!
Pauline Books & Media
Paperback; English
24–plus poster pages
Ideal for kids ages 6 to 12
Written by Lynn M. Simms
The Jesse Tree is a wonderful Advent tradition that fosters reflection on salvation history as a preparation for the celebration of Christmas. A Jesse Tree is a tree, or a large banner with a symbolic tree, that is decorated with ornaments or objects that represent Old Testament events from creation to the birth of Jesus. The ornaments are traditionally handmade with explanations of the symbols and a brief verse of Scripture from the story represented.
This Jesse Tree kit offers two options designed to make the Jesse Tree project accessible to any family, class, or parish.
Also included in the kit are a short history of the Jesse Tree, suggested Scripure verses to accompany each ornament, and a Jesse Tree prayer service. Includes a twenty-four page book and a reusable, folded, heavyweight 25 x 29-inch Jesse Tree poster.
Pauline Books & Media
24 plus poster pages
Written by Joan Marie Arbogast
A complete guide to the Advent-Christmas season for teachers and parents!
The Advent-Christmas season is one of the most celebrated and meaningful seasons of the year, especially for children. The Advent-Christmas Book is the answer for teachers and parents who want to keep Christ in Christmas, create meaningful family tradition, and celebrate the season in classroom and home with handmade kid-friendly crafts, gifts, and recipes.
Pauline Books & Media
Paperback; English
140 pages, 8.5 x 0.4 x 10.7 inches
Sung by Daughters of St. Paul Choir
There is a special feeling in the air during Christmas: expectation, joy, and love. The hurry and stress of Christmas preparations might impede our experience of this joyful season. The carols and songs of Season of Love can inspire us and deepen the meaning of this holy time.
Pauline Books & Media
Audio: CD
Playlist Includes:
Glory Glory, When Love Came Down, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Carol of the Bells, Sleigh Ride Together, O Come Emmanuel, A New York Christmas, First Day of the Son, O Holy Night, Candlelight Carol, Angels Among Us, Sing Angels Sing, What I Want for Christmas, A Christmas MedleyView full product details


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Extended maintenance of Ruby versions 1.8.7 and 1.9.2 ended on July 31, 2014. Read more
Converts a Rational to a BigDecimal
# File bigdecimal/lib/bigdecimal/util.rb, line 46 def to_d(nFig=0) num = self.numerator.to_s if nFig<=0 nFig = BigDecimal.double_fig*2+1 end BigDecimal.new(num).div(self.denominator,nFig) end
Commenting is here to help enhance the documentation. For example, code samples, or clarification of the documentation.
If you have questions about Ruby or the documentation, please post to one of the Ruby mailing lists. You will get better, faster, help that way.
If you wish to post a correction of the docs, please do so, but also file bug report so that it can be corrected for the next release. Thank you.
If you want to help improve the Ruby documentation, please visit Documenting-ruby.org.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (608 votes).
In short: Great raceIn full: This race has 25000+ runners. Some people complain about the slow runners or walkers. It's just a meter of getting to the race site early and start the race the front as possible. Date of review: March 22, 2011
In short: Really good all round -- see the sights of London, with many people cheering you on!In full: All round I thought this was great. Only slight annoyance, though mostly my fault, was that since this was my first race I eagerly snapped up many free drinks while on the start line... only to have to go and use some toilets after about 1km!Date of review: April 13, 2010
Date of review: November 14, 2009
In short: If your goal is to have a go on closed London streets for a big field event than this is your race. If however, your anything close to a serious runner it will frustrate you.In full: The appeal of running London was the motivation despite the cost. The scenery was as expected and a great day out if your primary interest was to tour London and get a medal. For the serious runners (myself included) the faults were obvious. The start was a shambles without zones. Even arriving early I was relegated to a long delay in starting. Once out, the walkers and sloggers who ventured out in waves blocking the route made curb hopping and dodging necessary. Unless within sprint of the start a PB isn't likely. The bag claim area was hardly secure and race bags were going to anybody for the asking. Cleared the finish area while some starters were still getting going.Date of review: November 11, 2009
In short: Overpriced and underorganised. In full: You'd think they'd have read the weather forecasts and realised people might need more than that nasty Gatorade (water would have been nice and why cups?!).Started over an hour late, stewards were poor, bag collection afterwards was a joke - they were giving bags out to absolutely anyone. Won't be doing this one again. Date of review: November 10, 2009
In short: Not bad for my first race but doubt I'll be backIn full: As this was my first ever race I'd read all the previous reviwes and thought I'd made a hideous mistake! Now it wasn't as bad as I was imagining but there was a serious lack of toilets and water stations were already struggling and I (luckily) was somewhere near the front of the start. Overall it was a fun atmosphere but for the price (which did not include chip timing)I don't think I'll be returning next yearDate of review: September 22, 2009
In short: could improveIn full: I was disappointed by the start - not enough toilets again and the free-for-all start is not good as runners friends queue up as well! i ran a good race in the heat but the unfriendly staff handing out the goody bags end to ANYBODY made me a bit cross. if you haven't run the race, it's a bit unfair to give you a medal...i saw family of four leave with four bags, when only one of them actually run...Date of review: September 9, 2009
In short: Useless - spend your money on something worthwhile like a pot of striped paint!In full: I can honestly say that I should have looked before I leapt on this one. The organisation was non-existant, I spent more time queing for the bog (20mins) and to cross the start (45mins) than I did running. The stewarding was appalling as people were left to blunder across the road and into the path of runners (I had one collision and witnessed others). Goody bags at the end a free for all anybody could and did help themselves. They had the timerity to charge £5 for a timing chip.It amounted to nothing more than fraud!Date of review: September 7, 2009
In short: Had a great time! In full: This was my first 10k. Hope to do it next year. I still dream of running the London Marathon some day but being like an 'Eddy the Eagle' figure of distance running, 10k is better suited to my body, and it has a lot of the same scenery! Date of review: August 25, 2009
In short: My first experience of distance running - really enjoyed it.Date of review: August 21, 2009
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PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. – The Pinal County Sheriff's Office will be the first law enforcement agency in Arizona to
begin using a new technology in their jail that will enable inmates to receive visitors through computer terminals.
Inmates at the Pinal County Adult Detention Center will be able to visit with their friends, family and attorneys
without the visitor having to travel to the facility. iWebVisit.com is the inventor of this third generation technology
which allows visitation via the "cloud" from any home, office or other remote location with a high speed internet
connection. Using their sophisticated and secure patent pending technology, iWebVisit.com will have a number of
Video Visitation Stations in the detention center which will allow inmates to participate in pre-scheduled visits.
iWebVisit.com debuted the technology at a facility in Washoe County, Nevada in 2010. The Pinal County Sheriff's
Office will be the first Arizona law enforcement agency to use the new technology. Since the technology unveiled in
on April 15th, 2013, there have been more than 60 remote visits. The cost for iWebVisit.com is $15 per 30-minute
remote video visitation session.
"It is hard to find time to see my son while working and raising grandkids," Annie, a mother of an inmate said. "I
feel like I was not seeing him enough and it made everything harder. I have used the computer visit twice now and
even the kids got to talk to him."
The results from the 2-year trial period of iWebVisit.com in Nevada presented several advantages including:
About iWebVisit.com: iWebVisit.com is a High Tech company that specializes in inmate video visitation. Truly the first
3rd Generation Remote Video Visitation System in the marketplace today, iWebVisit.com has facilities from coast to coast
utilizing its unique services to connect inmates to their loved ones. Please visit
www.iWebVisit.com for more information.
Mark Clark


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>Runner's World - My Event Ratings>
In short: A great course... For summer!In full: It truly was a great course, but mighty challenging with so much wet mud, running on gravel and strong headwinds.Water stations superb. Really friendly, nicely stocked.BUT, clearly not enough loos at the start, the registration hall was chaos, and the race started a few minutes, this combined with loo queues, means I started really late. Date of review: December 22, 2013
In short: A perfect race In full: Definitely playful, definitely challenging, yet lots of fun.Superbly marshalled, loved the final 100m on track, managed an impressive sprint.I really couldn't think how to advise bettering this event, better bag storage I suppose? But hey, who case, a triumphantly successful first event.Biggest plus; no queues for the loo's! That's a real first in my five years, 40+ half marathons of running.A massive well done organisers. I'm signing for next year!,,Date of review: December 1, 2013
In short: Year two, and still excellentIn full: Really nicely done again, we'll done to all the residents of ealing for amazing support.I did prefer last years course though, marginally flatter.Date of review: September 29, 2013
In short: Wow, such an abundance of great marshals In full: Hot, hot, hot...That asides a great run, forgot how hilly it was as I'd run this previous years.Highly recommend.Date of review: July 15, 2013
In short: The friendliest marshals ever! In full: What a lovely positive first event. No doubt these guys will iron out the teething problems.Perhaps it's just me, but I think my enjoyment would have been even greater on a weekend morning? (Cooler, less fatigued from work and less traffic).The course was lovely and reasonably flat, just in points felt tedious having to do such a minor loop twice (near the Prospect of Whitby), and the pavement barriers on the canary leg was a bit annoying, with two way runners, cyclists and regular pedestrians.A really nice start area, a good finish zone. A good course after a few tweaks, but most of all brilliantly engaging, energising marshals.A great first year. I'd definitely run againDate of review: July 5, 2013
In short: The most sincere and genuine marshals In full: Such a lovely course, but goodness it's by no means a flat course!The aid stations were manned with really charming marshals, well stocked and suitably placed.My only feedback would be the start & finish position. If it had started nearer to the race HQ up the hill, the walk back after finishing would have been easier. (Yet not effecting total length...I'll be sticking to road races, not trail in future. (That's a very personal thing, it's an excellent race)Date of review: May 4, 2013
In short: ExcellentIn full: This is my second and probably not the last time running the BM.OK, minor inconvenience having to pick up numbers at the expo, but really no different from any other bigvinternatinal marathons I'd run.If I had one fault, it would be the amount of loos at the start, it really needed more, the queues Date of review: April 15, 2013
In short: A great race with no attitudeIn full: It was nice to partake in a decent size club race, excellent organisation, a very simple route with excellent marshals.Faultless (although mighty cold!)Date of review: March 24, 2013
In short: Well done Team at Naked Strength, far superior to 2012In full: A challenging, hilly, cold and windy course. Marshalls upbeat and very supportive, nice touches on the 3/6th snack station (the poor marshal contending with wild ponies).Good well ordered car parking, hot & clean showers.The highlight of the day, the Compere Nickie. Added a real sparkle and level of fun/energy.Really well done, thank you for being so responsive to last years feedback. This race should grow and grow now.Date of review: March 10, 2013
In short: Not to be taken too seriously in the run calendar, but an awful lot of fun.....In full: At points, it made me wonder 'do we really need to go down the hill, just to come back up'?It would have also been better to have some more straight runs, as others had said existed in previous years?Given at points of the course, you are upto your nexk in freezing cold, filthy muddy water, a bit more consideration to changing facility at the end would have been appreciated, perhaps even a shower???All said and done, great run, lots of laughs, very nice organisation. Well done.Date of review: November 11, 2012
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text:
Paramore will be on The Vans Warped Tour from July 14th through July 20th as well as August 9th. Check out the dates below and stay tuned to paramore.net for more info!
JUL 14 Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion At Montage Mountain
JUL 15 Mississauga, ON @ The Flats at Arrow Hall
JUL 16 Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau
JUL 17 Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre
JUL 19 Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
JUL 20 Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
AUG 09 San Diego, CA @ Cricket Amphitheatre


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I take your road, too!6592262]It tends to be personal preference, really, and that's one of the reasons why riding someone else's GP horse can be a lot more difficult than riding someone else's TL horse. I like the inside leg at the girth/inside seat/outside leg passively back to make sure haunches don't swing out, personally, so you outside-leggers may have some issues convincing my GP horse to canter.
Many roads to Rome.[/quote]
breeder of Mercury!
remember to enjoy the moment, and take a moment to enjoy and give God the glory for these wonderful horses in our lives.BECAUSE: LIFE is What Happens While Making Other Plans
Too bad OP said it was not going to work out. boo. All my hunters are inside leg/seatbone with the outside leg to stabilize. I do remember waaayyy back on the lesson horses it was "outside leg outside rein". Interesting. My BNT used to say "I don't care if you spit on his ear to cue him, get the correct lead"
Come to the dark side, we have cookies
Originally Posted by Pennywell Bay
My BNT used to say "I don't care if you spit on his ear to cue him, get the correct lead"
My advice? If the canter cue is the only thing you can find wrong with this horse, then buy it.
Why isn't the horse working out for you?
Way back in my 4-H days I learned to cue canter with the outside leg and the horses nose turned out towards the rail. When I started hunters, it was outside leg back to hold haunches and the inside leg/hip to cue canter.
Hillary Rodham Clinton - the peoples choice for president.
Hummm.... I use the outside leg in my aid for canter. Never really thought twice about it???
....And I've already said that after my second ride, I'm decidedly unimpressed. Not quite the ride I'm looking for.
There are others -- I tried two nice, very different candidates today, and have two more lined up tomorrow and Tuesday. Very optimistic about Tuesday, but he's actually very well schooled and fancy and so we'll see
Originally Posted by paulaedwina
That's news to me! Even when I was riding Tempi the PSG schoolmaster under my BNT with all her medals the canter cue was outside leg behind the girth.
Goes to show doesn't it?
Interesting isn't it. Both my trainers (local one and one comes from interstate every 6 weeks) both train canter cue from the outside leg. The reasoning coming from it makes the flying changes easier to train earlier on. The same is also said by another more 'classical trainer'
Both of the trainers are GP competitors with many successful years and horses under their belts. Though it has been interesting retraining myself to do it.
too bad the horse didn't work out. I would absolutely buy a horse if the canter cue was the only thing you didn't like. . . that is easily re-trainable, as are many of the cues. My guy learned 3 different canter cues in the past 3 years- from a saddle seat cue, to an outside leg cue, and now he goes off my seat bones (with some positioning of my legs, but no pressure). Very easy to teach/retrain.
Originally Posted by paulaedwina
That's news to me! Even when I was riding Tempi the PSG schoolmaster under my BNT with all her medals the canter cue was outside leg behind the girth.
Goes to show doesn't it?
EVERY horse I have ever ridden in dressage is cued by the outside leg along with the inside at the girth. And I have been riding dressage for 30 years. Never been penalized by judges, etc.
I use both legs. Step into the inside stirrup at the girth, lighten inside seat bone so it can slide forward and brush the outside leg back all at the same time. Most of my horses seem to understand from my half halt and body language that the canter cue is coming up. This has worked for me with different horses.
I have also found with real greenies that some preferred inside leg and others the outside when I first try to teach canter transitions. I don't refine the aids until later on.
easy to retrain.
If you consistently use your inside leg, at the same time as the outside leg, and beforehand make sure the bend is correct, the horse should retrain easily. The outside leg should always be part of the request.
The horse being into the outside rein is a result of the balance between the inside and outside leg.
Some riders change their horse, they change their saddle, they change their teacher; they never change themselves.
Remember the horse does all the work, we just sit there and look pretty.
The major drawback to using the outside leg for a canter aid is it makes getting straight changes more challenging.
As to the OP's original question, this isn't a big deal at all for a lower level horse. I often use the outside leg for support with greener horses.
To retrain is simple if your timing is good - just use your inside leg and lighten your outside seat bone instead of moving your outside leg back.
See those flying monkeys? They work for me.
Forum Rules


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Live At The Gazebo
Findley Lake kicked off its free summer Live at the Gazebo concert series last evening with a performance by Steve Johnson and Charity Nuse, of Big Leg Emma.
I was hoping to cover the performance in a similar fashion to my Artist and Venue feature, but was unable to attend the event. However, I'll likely make it to one or more of the future performances – maybe I'll see you there.
The show will continue beginning at 7 p.m. each Wednesday through Aug. 14. The series will also feature: Sean Patrick McGraw, July 3; James Earle Band with Jim Scriven and Skip Roberts, July 10; The Sam Hyman Band, July 17; Bill Ward and Amanda Barton, July 24; Infinity Visual and Performing Arts' Hayley Restivo, Ryan Hawkins, Oliver Burdo and Lily Ellis, July 31; all female a cappella group Serendipity, Aug. 7; and Harbour Knights, Aug. 14.
In the event of rain, the performances will relocate to the Mina-Findley Lake Community Center, 2883 North Road in Findley Lake.
The series is made possible by the Alexander Findley Community Library, is funded by the town of Mina, the Community Arts Grant 2013 and the NYS Council on the Arts Chautauqua County Decentralization Grants. Refreshments and desserts are offered by donation.
As per usual, here are the highlights and happenings going on in the area.
JSBA Big City Summer Concert Series Continues Friday: Jackson Rohm will appear during JSBA's Big City Summer Concert Series on Friday.
Rohm, a full-time musician for the past 20 years, will soon relocate to California. This performance is one of his last few. For more information visit www.jacksonrohm.com.
The summer concert series takes place from 7-9 p.m. between Lafayette Street and the patio behind the JSBA. The Big City Concerts are free to the public. Food and beverage vendors will also be on-site.
Following each outdoor concert, the party will shift to Sully's Irish Pub for more live music. Located on the track inside JSBA, Sully's will feature a closing act that will play until around 10:30 p.m.
Jamestown Savings Bank Arena is located at 319 W. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information call 484-2624, visit jamestownarena.com or the JSBA Facebook and Twitter pages.
Willow Creek Winery To Host 13th Annual Willow Fest: Willow Creek Winery will host a three-day festival, today through Saturday, in which food, drink, music, and play all come together.
The event begins today at 5 p.m. with a preview show featuring live music with Black Widow. Friday will begin with a Fireman Hose Race at 6 p.m., along with Nashville recording artist Everett Lee and Underground Stampede, taking the stage to deliver a combination of country and classic rock. Terry Buchwald, as Elvis, will go on at 7 p.m., and the evening will conclude with fireworks.
The final day of Willow Fest will begin at noon on Saturday, and will feature live music from The Oliverio Band beginning at 3 p.m. Dunkirk native Sean Patrick McGraw will be featured as the main act. The festival will conclude with a hand-lit fireworks display that will run for approximately one hour and 20 minutes.
Admission to the festival is free, as well as parking, all weekend long. Willow Creek Winery is located at 2627 Chapin Road in Silver Creek. For more information call 934-9463.
"All Decks On Hand 3" To Open At 3rd on 3rd Gallery: A public reception and art auction will be held Friday at 6 p.m. The reception and show are free and open to the public. "All Decks On Hand" will remain open through most of July.
Artists from Jamestown, the Chautauqua region and beyond have all donated the artwork, created on skateboard decks. In past shows, photos, paintings, sculptures, drawings, graphic designs and more have been displayed.
Patrons at the reception will have the option of bidding on the art. All proceeds will benefit public skate parks in the area.
"All Decks On Hand" is sponsored by Active Artists Alliance, Jamestown Skate Products and Arts Council For Chautauqua County with support from New York State Council On The Arts.
3rd On 3rd Gallery is located at 116 E. Third Street at Arts Council For Chautauqua County. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Private viewings may be arranged by calling 664-2465, ext. 227. For more information visit artscouncil.com.
Infinity Seeks Bands And Musicians For 10th Annual Local Music Showcase: Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, Inc. is seeking local bands and musicians to participate in the 10th Annual Local Music Showcase.
Local Music Showcase is an annual event hosted to raise funding for music and arts instruction at the Infinity Center. The fundraiser, which is held throughout Downtown Jamestown, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 7. More than 50 local bands and musicians donate their time each year to help Infinity and more than 10 local venues donate their space for the cause.
Any interested bands or musicians may contact Stephanie Rogers at Infinity. Each performing act is asked to fill out a short informational form which can be obtained by stopping into the Infinity Center or sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.com. All acts must submit their forms no later than Thursday, Aug. 1, in order to be included in this year's schedule. The official performance schedule for the evening will be released on Monday, Aug. 5.
For more information, contact Rogers by calling 664-0991.
Infinity will also host a number of summer camps. Summer Music and Arts Institute for 5-7 year olds: July 8-12 or July 22-26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Summer Music and Arts Institute for 8-12 year olds: July 15-19 or Aug, 19-23, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Theatre, Comedy and Literary Arts Camp, ages 13 and up: July 29-Aug. 2, 1-4:30 p.m. "I'm in the Band" Camp, ages 8 and up: Aug. 6-Aug. 10, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Music Intensive Camp, ages 13 and up: Aug. 5-Aug. 9, 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Art Intensive Camp, ages 13 and up: Aug. 12-Aug. 16, 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
For more information call 664-0991.
Martin Short To Perform In Jamestown: Tickets to see comedian Martin Short, who will perform during the Lucy Town Half Marathon and 5k weekend on Oct. 12, will go on sale to the general public on Monday, July 1, at 10 a.m.
Tickets will be available by calling the Reg Lenna Civic Center box office at 484-7070, and online at www.lucyrace.com. The Reg Lenna box office will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
To include an upcoming show or event in this column, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 487-1111 ext. 253 by Monday.
Doc And Bill: 6-8 p.m., Let It Be Heard concert series, Heard Park in Northeast, Pa.
Pete Pepke: 6-8 p.m., The Corner Coffeehouse, 54 W. Main St. in Frewsburg.
Blue Grass Jam: 7-10 p.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Celoron.
Doc And Bill: 6-8 p.m., Randolph Summer Concert Series, the lawn at the corner of Main and Bank streets in Randolph.
Brian Chase: 6-9 p.m., Hadley House, 3328 Hadley Bay Road in Stow.
Jackson Rohm: 7-9 p.m., Jamestown Savings Bank Arena, 319 W. Third St. in Jamestown
Ric And Brian Butler: 8-11 p.m., Chautauqua Suites' Bellini Lounge, 215 W. Lake Road (Route 394) in Mayville.
Coyote: 8 p.m. to midnight, Casino Bar, 777 Seneca Allegany Blvd. in Salamanca.
Matt Homan Duo: 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Webb's Captain's Table, 115 W. Lake Road in Mayville.
Old Dawg Bluegrass: 6-8 p.m., Busti Historical Society Annual Picnic, Busti Mill pavilion in Busti. Guests may bring a covered dish to share.
Bill Ward And Amanda Barton: 6-9 p.m., Hadley House, 3328 Hadley Bay Road in Stow.
Backwoods Bluegrass: 6:30-9 p.m., Ellington Concert In The Park in Ellington.
Shaky Ray And The Cobalt Blues Band: 8 p.m. to midnight, Casino Bar, 777 Seneca Allegany Blvd. in Salamanca.
Money Shot: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Celoron.
Tommy Z Band: 4-8 p.m., Casino Bar, 777 Seneca Allegany Blvd. in Salamanca.
Ric And Brian Butler: 6-9 p.m., Hadley House, 3328 Hadley Bay Road in Stow.
Live At The Gazebo With Sean Patrick McGraw: 7 p.m., Findley Lake Gazebo in Findley Lake.
Rick Magee And Jack Adams: 6-9 p.m., Chautauqua Suites' Bellini Courtyard, 215 W. Lake Road (Route 394) in Mayville.


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Topic: Response of first request very slow
Why is it that the first request of a rails application view is so slow...
After that (the same amount but different sql queries) things go alot smoother.
It looks like the app needs some time to initialize.
Is there a way to do it faster ?


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NEW HAVEN, CONN. – The University of New Haven's College of Business will host an "MBA for a Day" program to give prospective students a taste of what an MBA from UNH can deliver.
The session will take place at UNH offices at 900 Chapel Street, 10th floor, in New Haven on Saturday, April 13, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
The program will feature active participation and demonstrate what a student would experience in actual MBA class sessions, including case analysis and networking. Participants will see whether they are ready for the academic rigor and professional development an MBA can deliver.
The master of business administration program at UNH attracts working professionals and mid-level to senior executives striving for substantial gains in performance, said Victoria Dolceamore, executive director of graduate programs in the College of Business. "An MBA student is searching for a greater understanding and a more in-depth view of the management disciplines offered by this program, but what they gain is something more important -- an experience that many graduates refer to as life-changing," said Dolceamore.
The program will feature two faculty presentations and simulations. Program administrators will also be available to discuss the application process.
The first talk will be by Stuart Sidle, associate professor and chair of the industrial psychology department. He will speak on typical sources of resistance to change at the team level. He will provide strategies for successful team leadership during times of change. His presentation will be highly interactive.
The second session will be led by Armando Rodriquez, associate dean of the college and an associate professor of economics. His session will focus on "Freakonomics, Dan Ariely, Dan Kahneman and the Behavioral Revolution in Economics." Ariely and Kahneman are TED speakers who say that human brains are bigger than most people recognize. They believe that the notion of humans as rational agents has been thoroughly debunked in economics and evolutionary psychology, but that understanding has not yet filtered properly into the political realm.
To register for the free program, RSVP to email@example.com or call 203-479-4206.
The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 on the campus of Yale University in cooperation with Northeastern University, UNH moved to its current West Haven campus in 1960. The University operates a satellite campus in Tuscany, Italy, and offers programs at several locations throughout Connecticut and in New Mexico and California. UNH provides its students with a unique combination of a solid liberal arts education and real-world, hands-on career and research opportunities. The University enrolls approximately 6,400 students, including nearly 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates – the majority of whom reside in University housing. Through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, Tagliatela College of Engineering, and College of Lifelong & eLearning, UNH offers 75 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UNH students have access to more than 50 study abroad programs worldwide and its student-athletes compete in 16 varsity sports in the NCAA Division II's highly competitive Northeast-10 Conference.


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I seem to have a problem with funalliance.com re lost shipment. Since early March this year they do not reply to me inquiries.
Does anyone know if the company is still in business?
Chip wrote:So, you did order from them, and they did accept payment from you? And you have not gotten shipment nor return emails.
markmctamany wrote:I placed an order 2 weeks ago, paid for the order (a $200 yixing teapot) and have not heard from them since...


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I watched the original Planet of the Apes last night. "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"
My 10 year old has never seen it, and I remember seeing this movie at the local theatre when I was just 10 when it came out. Very, very scary movie for me as a 10 year old.


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In November, remember the 16 who voted to sell
By FRANK LISA Sr.
I was always under the impression that we lived in a society of people who chose their representatives with the intent of adhering to the old but still wonderful principle of a government that consisted simply stated, of the people, by the people, for the people.
This no longer seems to exist with the actions of County Executive Greg Edwards and many members of the county legislators in regard to our County Home. The actions of those who wish to sell the home show a lack of regard for the wonderful care they receive. Any legislator who regards the care of these people in dollars and cents (taxes) in my opinion lacks compassion and understanding and as such should not be re-elected.
Please allow me to place you in a thought-provoking perspective. We know we have one of the best of homes, well kept and most caring people you could find watching over our dear ones. Let us consider ourselves in a sad time of life.
We have to bring in a beloved wife or perhaps it's a wife bringing in her husband, mother, father or any deeply loved one. Then again it might just be you. One thing for sure we will be involved in this and can only hope as pleasant as possible.
I would like to go back to the above folks who are the main focus of this letter. Did they place a monetary value on you? From the time of your birth to adulthood they carried the ball with love and concern, with all the expense involved did they ever look for someone or some place to drop you off that absolved them of their responsibility? They did not. It is now your time to carry the ball – don't drop it, they did not.
In my opinion, most residents of our county desire to keep our home and not sell. Remember those 16 who voted to sell the Home last week.
I would like to ask the people of our county come November remember the old adage when you vote: "Don't get mad, get even!" Should some people feel in regard to this that he is just an old guy who wants a place to hang his hat, not true; the first part might be true about an old guy, the second part about the hat is not. I'm a disabled veteran of World War II and as such all I have to do is pack a small bag and head to Buffalo.
To tell the truth I would much rather head to the Chautauqua County Home.
Frank R. Lisa Sr. is a Dunkirk resident.


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|Study Participants
|Healthcare Professionals
|What is TrialNet?
|News and Events
|Get Screened!
Information for Study Participants
CTLA-4 Ig (Abatacept) in Recent Onset Diabetes
Status: No Longer Recruiting
Eligibility Criteria
To join this study, you must fulfill at least one of the two conditions below:
About this Study
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. This means that your immune system, the part of the body that helps fight infections, mistakenly attacked the cells in your body that produced insulin. These cells, called beta cells, are found in your pancreas.
This attack probably started years ago. Once many of your beta cells were damaged, your blood glucose levels went too high, and you had to start taking insulin by injection.
At this point, when you have had diabetes for less than three months, you may have beta cells left that produce some insulin. People who continue to make a little insulin may have fewer problems with low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). They may also have an easier time keeping their blood glucose levels in the normal range. This lowers the risk of the long-term complications of diabetes.
Right now, there is no proven treatment that will protect the remaining beta cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system keeps destroying them. By a few years after diagnosis, most people with type 1 diabetes are making no insulin of their own.
In this study, we are testing a drug called abatacept that might protect the remaining beta cells from further destruction. We want to see if abatacept might help people continue to make a little of their own insulin. This research study will compare people who get abatacept with those who do not get abatacept.
What will I be asked to do?
Two-thirds of the people in this study will get infusions of abatacept. They are in the treatment group.
One third of the people in this study will get infusions that look like abatacept but have no active drug. This is called a placebo infusion. The people getting the placebo infusions are in the control group.
Both groups will get 27 infusions over two years with an infusion occurring every 28 days. You will be asked to return for additional visits for up to two years after completing the infusions.
You can't choose your group. A computer will choose your group for you. It's by chance, like drawing straws. This is called random assignment, or randomization.
This study is double-masked. While the study is going on, neither you nor your study team will know if you're in the treatment group or the control group. At the end of the study, we will tell you whether you were in the treatment group or the control group.
As a research volunteer, you can decide to stop being in this study at any time. We hope that you will stay in the study. You will be helping us learn more about how to help people with diabetes.
To see if you might be eligible for this study and for a referral to a TrialNet site:
The blood test to determine whether or not you are at risk for Type 1 Diabetes is part of the Natural History study. Please see the list of Clinical Centers for more information.
Information will be kept confidential.


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You are Here:
News Releases
/ Edge of Field Water Quality Monitoring (NWQI watershed) Information
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces funding for Edge of Field Water Quality Monitoring in Select Watershed project areas in Arkansas - News Release - Applications Due June 14, 2013
Farmers and landowners in Jack's Bayou Watershed in Arkansas have until June 14, 2013, to submit applications to receive financial assistance for a new project to monitor edge of field water quality on agricultural lands in targeted watersheds throughout the state. Applicants can sign up at their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service field service center.
Producers can use the data from water quality monitoring and evaluation to measure the effectiveness of conservation practices and systems such as nutrient management, cover crop, and irrigation water management. Evaluation of conservation practice effectiveness through edge of field monitoring will lead to a better understanding of nutrient and sediment loading and will assist NRCS and participants in adapting or validating the application of conservation measures.
Funding for these projects comes from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for monitoring projects in 12-digit priority watersheds which have been targeted for funding.
Kenneth Lee (Programs) Assistant State Conservationist for Programs (501) 301-3165
Nancy Young State Resource Conservationist (501) 301-3134
Dianne Schlenker Initiatives Coordinator (501) 301-3152
NRCS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Civil Rights | FOIA | Plain Writing | Accessibility Statement
Privacy Policy| Non-Discrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (8 votes).
In short: ExcellentDate of review: December 1, 2011
In short: A once in a lifetime run, hard work but the crowd really do get you through!Date of review: October 8, 2011
In short: Loved itDate of review: July 10, 2011
In short: Great street party atmosphere - spectators help make this event.In full: Great street party atmosphere - still some stop/start in narrow parts even at return to the Tower area - though better flow this year.Very quick baggage retreival marshals.Date of review: May 22, 2011
In short: very well organised and an overwhelming experience thank you Date of review: May 15, 2011
In short: defibitely would do it again.Date of review: April 30, 2011
In short: Must be run - at least onceDate of review: April 28, 2011
In short: A must for any runner!In full: This was my first London Marathon; I had applied many times before but to no avail. Unfortunately I as I started back in zone 5 it took a few miles to actually start running at my target pace - this did set me back quite a bit and was very frustrating. This combined with the heat in the second half made it a particularly tough race (strangely more challenging than my previous marathon at Beachy Head). My only criticisms are about 'runner's etiquitte': firstly, too many runners were indiscriminately throwing water bottles across other runners and over the heads of the spectators (some were actually hit!); and secondly, as runners tired in the last 6 miles many just stopped and started walking without any consideration for those still running behind - this was very frustrating. Aside from these, it was a very memorable and emotional experience - strongly recommended.Date of review: April 28, 2011
Visit the official Runner's World page
Follow Runner's World on Twitter
Click here
Other Natmag-Rodale Sites
Run For Charity
Injury Clinics
About Runner's World


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Dear USA Table Tennis Member,
Ballots were sent out electronically via email on Thursday, January 3, to all eligible USA Table Tennis members with email addresses in our database. If we didn't have your email address, you were sent a paper copy to your home address. Please check your spam folder if you have not seen the email election ballot from SurveyMonkey on our behalf.
The final deadline to vote is January 21. The announcement of that election result and the posting of the complete composition of the Board of Directors for the next four-year term will be made on or about February 4.
If you have any questions regarding the election or your ballot please contact me at email@example.com.
Andrew Horn


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Overcast ~
High: 51°F ~ Low: 47°F
Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
My smoothies started 3 months ago and I am now down 20 lbs!Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2012, at 7:23 AM
That may not sound like a lot when you see all the fad diets and pills advertised, but to me that is fantastic! I've tried numerous times over the years and come up empty each time.
What I like about this is
1. It is the most I have ever accomplished
2. It came off almost effortlessly
3. I am not hungry and don't feel deprived
4. I look forward to the smoothies. It is not a sacrifice
5. My doctor is happy with the slow loss (7 lbs a month)
I saw a difference almost immediately with belt loops and am now on a new belt size and a few extra notches. It is probably time to start having my pants taken in.
In the past I would always refrain from any adjustments because I did not have faith that it would stay off, but now that I look forward to the smoothies, I cannot see any reason to not move forward with alterations. Pretty soon I will fit my old disco clothes! :-O
My cholesterol has not dipped like I hoped, and my triglycerides still need work. Probably because of the high glycemic fruits I include so I will slowly wean myself from them. (most of them)
BUT, I am 20 lbs lighter, feeling better and optimistic about the next 20!
Showing comments in chronological order
[Show most recent comments first]
So,....What's in that shake?...I could use a few lbs off this tummy!...no exercise required I hope.
-- Posted by chefgrape on Wed, Dec 12, 2012, at 10:59 AM
I have two recipe books but after the first day I really stopped reading it, just threw what seemed interesting in.
I guess would suggest fruit to start out and those that you like. Then start experimenting with less glycemic (fructose or "sugar") Here is a web page recommended by benjithegreat98 in a previous blog post http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/
Three of my favorites happen to have relatively high glycemic values. Bananas, pineapples and grapes. Instead of cutting them out, I backed off them a little or did one but not the others.
My philosophy on this is that I need to LIKE what I am drinking first, then phase the healthier stuff in. When I first started I threw in kale, cabbage, broccoli, etc., and I ended up not drinking it all.
I went back to my fruit and slowly added these things back in. My taste buds changed and I now accept and even like the change of pace. BUT, I also still do not go overboard.
I now look forward to the sweet taste for breakfast and occasionally throw in a raw egg. (Just have to trust your egg vendor, or chickens) I don't even know the egg is in there.
Today I had grapes, some salad mix, one carrot, a small pink grapefruit ( I originally thought they were oranges) an apple and banana and some nut mix of raw almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds.
Two days ago had pomegranate and pineapple but no banana or grapes, plus some fresh watercress and blueberries.
If at all possible and if not cost prohibitive, I try to use everything fresh, but I have gone to frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries (that I picked) and canned peaches in light syrup (low in added sugar).
I could get you recipes but I really think it is best if each person uses what they like. I tried a V-8 like recipe and the tomatoes were these "plastic" ones we get in the winter and it barely tasted like tomatoes. That will have to wait until next summer.
If you like a creamier smoothie, try low fat yogurt or tofu. The yogurt adds a little twang but I rarely notice the tofu unless I REALLY load it up.
I and Debbi's mother will try anything but Debbi likes something closer to a milkshake so I make something for me, then make a strawberry, banana, tofu shake with a little vanilla extract. One time I tried chocolate syrup. A little cheating but nowhere what it used to be.
I could go on, but I will be happy to chat about any questions you have. There are also two other posts in my archives that you might want to read, plus the internet is overflowing with ideas, recipes, advice, etc.
Now that I have reached 20 pounds off, I am shooting for another 20. While I am feeling better I am not up to hard exercise yet so, no chefgrape, no exercise up to this point, unless you count cutting and loading and stacking firewood, but that was not for weight loss, it was to keep warm in the upcoming months.
-- Posted by stevemills on Wed, Dec 12, 2012, at 8:47 PM
Oh yeah, keep in mind appearance as well. A bland tan looking smoothie does not seem to taste as good as a bright pink or blue one.
Blueberries add a LOT of color, but they are expensive so you may want to save them for next year when you can pick your own.
A little green is blah, but a lot of green looks cool so maybe you can find a good tasting spinach combination. If all else fails, maybe a touch of food coloring??
-- Posted by stevemills on Wed, Dec 12, 2012, at 8:51 PM
Another "oh, by the way", I cut out all bread and pasta. Originally I expected that to be a big deal since I love both, but I have not really missed it.
Even when I am sharing a meal with others and there are luscious yeast rolls just sitting there, coated in honey and butter and smelling so delicious...... I better stop. Mmmmmmm. :-)
But seriously, I can leave them alone.
-- Posted by stevemills on Thu, Dec 13, 2012, at 8:58 AM
I picked up a tub of shake mix that is made by Garden Of Life it has only like 5 carbs and taste great it was the "Raw Protein" one and its plant based protein...I mixed it with "great greens" and sometimes the "super raw food"and a live probiotic from them and ended up losing 70 lbs in like 6 months...I had to cut out anything white like potato, bread and rice but found it filling so i would eat a sensible dinner and not crave the sweets.....only thing is i needed milk of magnesia from time too time...but felt amazing with energy after the first week...the first month tho i lost 18 lbs....come Jan. 1st...I'll be back on it again...it seemed to keep me level all day..I even cut out that 2 o'clock nap!....here is their web site if anyone is interested...http://www.gardenoflife.com/...I know it is vary hard to diet I had to change a whole lifestyle to do it because I have a major sweet tooth and seem to be addicted to chocolate !..I am in hopes that one day people will trust a skinny chef.
-- Posted by chefgrape on Thu, Dec 13, 2012, at 9:42 AM
Why did you stop chefgrape?
I could not find the "great greens" and sometimes the "super raw food" on their website. Are they from somewhere else?
-- Posted by stevemills on Thu, Dec 13, 2012, at 5:00 PM
Our favorite juice is carrot cucumber and celery. We add kale and apple to it at times, and the hubby likes to add fresh ginger. When we crave the fruit juice we get a variety of grapes, blue berries and apple. We have strayed for a while due to busy schedules and poor time management. Your post here has made me crave some good fresh juice though. Yummy.
-- Posted by jstus on Thu, Dec 13, 2012, at 10:17 PM
Well I stopped because I moved and got busy and it was just not convenient plus being a chef there are a lot of temptations, but now that I am retired from the food business its that time again....Steve you can get all their products at whole foods....Garden of Life greens are basically the same as great greens which was just a cheaper version...that plant protein was awesome...I started with a cleanse kit for 10 days which i found extremely gentle and far from gut wrenching...then mixed great greens or Garden of life perfect food greens(the powder) with their powdered vanilla raw food meal replacement in unsweetened almond milk with a little liquid Stevia (that new natural orange pack sweetener "Nectresse" is great and not bitter)I found it real filling....I was also taking the probiotic which I highly recommend (Primal defense for men) and a multiple vitamin (Solgar V2000) for men because I found that particular vitamin balanced for what a male needs and felt the difference within days....I did not care for the G.O.L vitamins at all...I was checking around and found this site to have the best prices..much cheaper then Whole Foods...The health store out Broad in the K mart shops in the Boro has their products and I think the health food store in Tullahoma does also. Our local health food store does not.
-- Posted by chefgrape on Fri, Dec 14, 2012, at 10:08 PM
I am also Diabetic so I watch the high fruit sugars and daily caloric intake along with low carb eating when dieting
-- Posted by chefgrape on Fri, Dec 14, 2012, at 10:10 PM
I look forward to some fresh carrots and cukes from the garden next year. Beets also seem to go well, but too many are overbearing. I have looked into growing my own celery but may have to grow a substitute like celeriac instead because of our climate.
Does anyone know a natural combination for relieving muscle and joint pain? The extra fructose may be irritating my situation so I am going to make a serious effort to cut back the fruit this week.
-- Posted by stevemills on Sun, Dec 16, 2012, at 5:14 PM
Steve, have you read about or tried coconut nectar as a sweetener. It's very low glycemic index makes for a wonderful alternative to other forms of sweeteners in smoothies, i.e. fruits. Available as a syrup or crystals, it has an incredible rich sweetness like sugar but you don't have to worry about the insulin reaction.
-- Posted by dmcg on Sun, Dec 16, 2012, at 9:11 PM
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Steve Mills and his wife have one daughter. They previously owned two coffee/ice cream shops, currently operate an internet sales company and teach classes, but his primary job involves the paper industry worldwide. Hobbies and interests lie in gardening, photography, recorded music and of course, their pets.
Hot topicsHas every presidency been judged like Trump's, before it ever starts?
(131 ~ 12:17 PM, Jan 23)
Yes, I withdraw my decision to not close down posts.
Have you felt your thumbs itching? Just a little?
Calling all people who like to fish.
If you have a creative bone, believe in recycling, repurposing and need a good read


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Next round of snow could leave mark locally
An updated forecast from the National Weather Service for southwest Minnesota calls for a winter weather advisory until midnight Wednesday for Cottonwood, Lincoln, Lyon and Murray counties. The first round of snow fell far north of the region Monday – more than a foot of snow accumulated in Duluth and Two Harbors with another 1 to 3 inches expected. Snow totals could exceed 20 inches from Grand Rapids to Duluth. Here, depending on when precipitation turns to all snow, some areas could see between 1 to 3 inches before the system moves out of the area late Wednesday. Winds will pick up early Wednesday as well, meaning limited visibility. Temperatures are expected to plunge Wednesday night with highs struggling to get out of single digits for the rest of the week.