text:
600 years ago today ...
On the morning of 25 October 1415, shortly before the Battle of Agincourt, young King Henry V ("Harry") roused his beleaguered troops -- weary from their march back to Calais for convoy to England -- to achieve one of the greatest military upsets in history. Outnumbered 5-to-1, over fields freshly planted with winter wheat, the English victory proved decisive in the Hundred Years' War and crippled the French army.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day!
Reagan's "Star Wars": 30 Years Later
In February 2011, my blogfriends at Chicago Boyz hosted a "Reagan Centenary Roundtable" in honor of the 100th birthday of our 40th President. My contribution to that Round Table was a celebration of President Reagan's "Star Wars Speech" -- a speech that he gave thirty years ago today.
It is ironic that Sequestration (per the Budget Control Act of 2011) risks "...trimm[ing] to the limits of safety" our defense budget -- which is exactly what President Reagan was trying to undo. His logic was simple: a strong military was a credible deterrent, and deterrence was the basis by which weapons of mass destruction could become obsolete.
So to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Reagan's compelling speech on global security, is a blast from the Wayback Machine:
"A new hope for our children in the 21st century"
{Crossposted from ChicagoBoyz.net, which is hosting a "Reagan Centenary Roundtable" in honor of the 100th birthday of our 40th President}
"A new hope for our children in the 21st century"
{Crossposted from ChicagoBoyz.net, which is hosting a "Reagan Centenary Roundtable" in honor of the 100th birthday of our 40th President}
Tomorrow afternoon (Monday, February 7th, 2011), the first Monday in February, President Obama will deliver his Fiscal Year 2012 Presidential Budget to the Congress. This is the opening act of our annual budgetary tango, with copious debate over the coming months of the necessary trades between programs.
On March 23rd, 1983, a few weeks after President Reagan presented his Fiscal 1984 budget to Congress, he gave his famous "Star Wars Speech" to a national televised audience. Although "Star Wars" was the derisive name opponents used to mock the fantastic nature of the President's vision, President Reagan's speech was singularly focused on restoring American military strength and credibility -- and to "... pave the way for arms control measures to eliminate the [nuclear] weapons themselves."
Ironically, unlike President Kennedy's 1962 speech at Rice University that was fully focused on the seemingly-impossible challenge of putting a man on the moon (and Rice defeating Texas in football), Reagan's "... call [to] the scientific community in our country, those who gave us nuclear weapons, to turn their great talents ... to the cause of mankind and world peace: to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete" warranted only a couple of sentences in an otherwise lengthy speech.
Rather, this speech was part of "…a careful, long-term plan to make America strong again after too many years of neglect and mistakes," and (when coupled with President Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech to the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando just two weeks prior) was a deliberate escalation of Cold War rhetoric.
President Reagan was rightfully concerned that the defense budget had been "trimmed to the limits of safety" by Congress. This decay of U.S. armed forces led Reagan "…to improve the basic readiness and staying power of our conventional forces, so they could meet - and therefore help deter - a crisis." But his confidence in the logic of deterrence had limits. The Star Wars Speech presented to the world Reagan's realization that deterrence based solely on commensurate offensive capabilities was fallacious.
"Over the course of these discussions, I have become more and more deeply convinced that the human spirit must be capable of rising above dealing with other nations and human beings by threatening their existence.... Wouldn't it be better to save lives than to avenge them? Are we not capable of demonstrating our peaceful intentions by applying all our abilities and our ingenuity to achieving a truly lasting stability? I think we are - indeed, we must!"
The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO, precursor to today's Missile Defense Agency) was founded the following year, 1984. Reagan realized the complexity of the task, noting in his speech that it "... may not be accomplished before the end of this century." Yet the U.S. Army PATRIOT terminal defense system performed admirably in early 1991 during DESERT STORM, and today's U.S. Navy Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) has been used to destroy a failing satellite (Operation BURNT FROST, February 2008) as well as form the future foundation of land-based European missile defense and our nation's "Phased Adaptive Approach". [Addendum: As of March 2013, SecDef Hagel has announced a nearly-50% increase in our Ground-Based Interceptor arsenal at Fort Greely, Alaska, as a hedge against a nascent North Korean threat.]
The magnitude of the technical challenge caused many to blanche in 1983, and to ridicule the President. Yet today's successes would never have been possible if President Reagan had not had the faith to "... [launch] an effort which holds the promise of changing the course of human history."
For that, we have "... a new hope for our children in the 21st century."
The magnitude of the technical challenge caused many to blanche in 1983, and to ridicule the President. Yet today's successes would never have been possible if President Reagan had not had the faith to "... [launch] an effort which holds the promise of changing the course of human history."
For that, we have "... a new hope for our children in the 21st century."
Open Letter to Congress
Now that the Sequester -- the by-product of the Budget Control Act of 2011 -- has been invoked, I have sent an open letter to my Congressman (Cong. Doug Lamborn, CO-05) and Senators (Sen. Michael Bennet and Sen. Mark Udall) explaining the negative impact of their delayed implementation of such a drastic measure. While I do believe a 10% cut in discretionary spending accounts is a good idea, waiting until the waning months of a fiscal year to invoke it profoundly magnifies the consequences:
Dear Senator Bennet, Senator Udall, and Congressman Lamborn:
I am writing as a constituent, a federal employee, and a concerned citizen.
Our current state of Sequestration is a dangerous condition that risks derailing our tenuous economic recovery.
The delays in enforcing the Budget Control Act of 2011, while seemingly good in the short term, are compounding the effects on those who serve our nation as civilian employees.
Now that the Sequester has been invoked, my employer (the Missile Defense Agency at Schriever AFB) is planning 22 days of federal furloughs in the final few months of the fiscal year.
The only way to be compliant with the law as now written is one-day-per-week furloughs of civilian employees. In my case, that 20% reduction in duty hours translates to a 27% net loss in take-home pay (since health benefits and life insurance costs are constant).
I urge you and your fellow Senators and Representatives -- on BOTH sides of the aisle -- to consider the ripple effects of such a drastic cut in take-home pay for the tens of thousands of federal employees in Colorado.
Please work to resolve this issue on behalf of ALL of your constituents.
Sincerely yours,
Shane Deichman
Starbucks FAIL
I admit it. We're addicted to caffeine. Trimethylxanthine. Freshly pulled espresso with a layer of coda del topo crema.
Nearly 12 years ago we made a major appliance upgrade, dropping $175 at Starbucks in early 2001 for their "Barista" espresso machine:
This "Barista" model was based on the "Vapore" brand from Italy, and for years we have relied on the pre-tamped, filtered "Espresso Pods" you see in the foreground of the Barista. A package of 12 (regular or decaf) has always been $4.95, or less than 45 cents per pod after taxes.
Unfortunately, the introduction of the recently-released "Verismo" system has made finding my old Barista pods a challenge. Having tried the Verismo espresso at a store demo, I was very impressed: perfect coda del topo stream of delicate light-brown crema, cascading into a perfect shot of espresso.
However, I was reluctant to make the plunge due to the steep price point: $1.07 per pod after taxes -- compounded by the fact that each Verismo pod only produces one (1) fl. oz. (+/- 10g).
Now those of you who know a fluid ounce is just 29g must be marveling at that variance, but it is exactly what we observed at home once we bought the system. Starbucks sweetened the deal by tossing in FOUR boxes of pods with the purchase of the system.
And for the first week, we were quite pleased -- I even took it to a neighbor's party, burning through a good portion of our inventory.
But then we started to see the "warts" on this system. Pods inserted into the top slot and then mechanically inserted into the brewing housing would slip and fall (unused) into the internal waste bin. The Latte pods (which I did not sample during the earlier demo) tasty tinny and bitter. And we noticed the variance in the final product volume -- which was ALWAYS less than expected. In fact, it took 3-4 pods to replicate a grande latte.... (>$3.00 each -- not very different from the price at Starbucks, and I'm not getting any "stars" on my GoldCard!)
When I called the dedicated Verismo service center, they told me that the faulty feeder mechanism is a "known issue" and refused to exchange my system for that purpose. They also said that if I wanted to return my system through them, I would have to PURCHASE a new system, plus shipping, then use their provided return label to ship my old system back -- and only after their receipt of the old system would they credit my account. Yeah, uh ... not.
So yesterday I cleaned our Verismo, repacked it in the box (which CINCHOUSE saved, despite my initial enamored state), and took it back to the Starbucks where I bought it. And we're now back to searching for Barista pods....
Veterans'/Remembrance Day
(Reposting from my Veterans' Day post of 2007)
The armistice that ended "The Great War" (World War I) was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month: November 11th, 1918. Europeans commemorate this day as "Armistice Day", Americans as "Veterans Day", and citizens of the Commonwealth as "Remembrance Day".
Poppies grow in profusion in Flanders (northern Belgium), where many many casualties of the war were buried. The poem "In Flanders Fields" was written by a Canadian physician, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, in the trenches on the battle front a day after he witnessed the death of his friend Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. The poem:
In Flanders fields the poppies blowAs we honor the service of those who ensure our security, let us also remember those who gave their "last full measure of devotion" -- in Flanders Fields, and elsewhere.
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Liberty Marching Band claims 2nd among Colorado 4A bands
The Liberty High School "Pride of the Lancers" Marching Band did their best performance of the year in the Colorado Bandmasters Association 4A Final, winning 2nd place for the first time in school history. GO LANCERS!!
Go A's!
The Oakland A's swept the Texas Rangers to win the American League West -- overcoming a five-game deficit just a week ago! Now if the Red Sox can get it together and beat the Yankees, then Oakland will become the #1 seed in the A.L playoffs for this 2012 season!
(And props to the Baltimore Orioles -- here's to an Oakland-Baltimore ALCS in a couple weeks!)
United States of Arrogance
U.S. gymnast McKayla Maroney's frown on the podium following her silver-medal women's vault performance represents a common theme in America these days: Nobody likes "second best"! (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, referenced from WTOP FM in Washington DC [ http://wtop.com ])
In track and field, Team USA sprinters who came in second cried in anguish at "losing" -- rather than elation at being the second fastest in the world.
And Michael Phelps, who has won more gold medals than anyone in Olympic history has won medals, was also visibly amazed that he didn't add to his Fort Knox haul of Olympic precious metals in one of the early events in London last month.
While USA Basketball fields an all-star lineup of NBA professionals, I must admit I get bored with Lebron and Kobe trouncing opponent after opponent (and would have been thrilled to see an upset). So that's the other extreme -- coupled with an expectation of utter dominance.
Given the superhuman dedication these athletes commit to their sports, I suppose it's understandable when they discover that their tens of thousands of hours of sweat and tears isn't good enough for a Wheaties box or a cover photo on Sports Illustrated (though McKayla seems to have cracked the code for going viral even with silver).
But this underscores an irony in American sports today. We want shut-out victories with wide margins to proclaim our significance, yet we disdain those who take performance-enhancing drugs -- at least that's what the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) would have you believe.
Check out the USADA website. Their banner proclaims they are "Protecting the Rights of Athletes" and
"Inspiring True Sport", and their logo truncates two stripes of the American flag into a equal sign. Yet their behavior demonstrates otherwise.
Which is why I applaud Lance Armstrong for challenging their legitimacy in international competition -- especially when USADA's charter specifies that their role is to serve as "the official anti-doping agency for Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic sport in the United States." They are a non-profit, non-government agency that is a subcontractor to the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I had the privilege of sharing an office floor with them when my team was in a commercially-managed, government-leased site (we had Suite 210 of Tech Center II in the Colorado Springs Technological Park, while USADA had Suite 200). So this is an "Agency" I've been aware of for the past couple of years (when they first moved into their 18,000 square foot class-A office suite at "TC-II").
USADA is admittedly working in an evolving field, where prohibited substances are frequently added to and removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA's) list. In fact, WADA updates their list annually -- with easy-to-access search tools and even iPhone and iPad apps. But USADA has taken on an attitude of entitlement and authority that is well beyond their "Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic" charter.
Bottom line: the list of banned substances is dynamic. What may be acceptable one year could be at the top of the WADA Prohibited List the next. Yet every single test that Lance Armstrong has undergone has been clean.
That alone is the most damning evidence against the U.S. Olympic Committee subcontractor's witch hunt. Their only evidence is from third-party testimony, not from empirical observation. And today's Washington Post Opinion blogpost by Sally Jenkins underscores their history of (a) increasing penalties when their legitimacy is challenged, (b) their ability to "plea bargain" with lesser-known athletes who may be the worst abusers in order to build a stronger circumstantial case, and (c) their thinly-veiled collusion with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
When the U.S. District Court in Austin threw out Lance's case earlier this week, it was acceding to the boundary conditions of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) -- saying they appear to have due process. But if that is indeed the case, what other body has a batting average of 0.967?!? Athletes going before CAS against USADA have lost 58 of 60 cases, which does not demonstrate "truth" to me but manipulation of the process.
So my question is: When will Gatorade be added to WADA's Prohibited List? Or Succeed! S-Caps (which provided me the electrolytes I needed to avoid cramping on last year's Pikes Peak Ascent)? Or bananas for that matter? (They are loaded with potassium and other essential compounds for aiding performance....)
We Americans share in USADA's hypocrisy, demanding success at all costs -- but willing to retreat behind the spectre of obfuscation and conjecture.
USADA represents all of the worst practices of the ill-begotten War on Drugs, fixing blame on high-profile athletes (ostensibly the "user" community) in order to garner more attention for themselves and their misguided causes and budgetary needs.
And in the end, we all lose.
USADA's budget is one item that should be stricken from Congress's FY13 Appropriations Act for the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I intend to write Congressman Lamborn and Senators Udall & Bennet urging they investigate USADA's potential violation of their charter, and cancel their federal budget immediately.
To Wonderland and Back
Summer 2012 featured our second-longest family road-trip ever (in terms of duration): "To Wonderland and Back", where Sophiepeanut got to meet all of her favorite Princesses at Disney World -- and we visited many friends and family. It also logged Sophiepeanut's 36th, 37th, and 38th U.S. states visited (SC, NC & IA). Her new Electoral College map:
(Note: My Facebook post citing NC as her "40th state" was erroneous; I added the three states she would visit this trip, then started adding them again. Blasted database polyinstantiation...)
The rest of us remain unchanged on our "States Visited" counts (me at 50, Renee at 49, Shelby at 48, Jarrett at 47). That will change in two years, though, when we make a New England loop in Summer 2014. Summer 2013 will be a return to Southern California for a wedding.
We'll post more pix of our CO-FL-GA-VA-TN-MI-MN-CO road trip later. Some stats:
Cross-Cultural Worries
In the early morning hours of May 2nd, 2011 (Pakistani time), Operation NEPTUNE SPEAR (a kill-or-capture mission targeting Osama bin Laden) was successfully conducted. And now that we are nearing the anniversary of that operation, the Homeland Security channels are buzzing with warnings of "retaliatory acts". Nothing substantiated, of course, but warnings nonetheless.
Isn't it odd that our security and intelligent apparati bring this up now, one Gregorian year after the event? Rather than the Hijri anniversary, which came and went uneventfully a couple weeks ago?
The death of Osama bin Laden was on May 2nd, 2011 -- which is the 28th of Jumada al-awwal in the Islamic Year 1432. And the 28th of Jumada al-awwal, 1433, occurred on April 20th, 2012.
A colleague aptly characterized this as our penchant for "worrying cross-culturally".
Happy Patriots' Day!
Killed in Action in America's first battle:
- John Brown
- Samuel Hadley
- Caleb Harrington
- Jonathon Harrington
- Robert Munroe
- Isaac Muzzey
- Asahel Porter
- Jonas Parker
H/T Lexington Green
The Newest Joint Chief
On Saturday (Dec 31st), President Obama signed into law the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. While most of the coverage of this year's NDAA was about the detention, interrogation and prosecution of suspected terrorists, there was a surprise addition to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From the Defense.Gov news article:
Section 512 of the act creates a new member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which currently includes the Army and Air Force chiefs of staff, the chief of naval operations and the Marine Corps commandant. The new member will be the chief of the National Guard Bureau, who will have responsibility for "addressing matters involving non-federalized National Guard forces in support of homeland defense and civil support missions."
So from now on the Joint Chiefs of Staff won't just be the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, but the National Guard Bureau as well.
A great development for the foundation of our liberty, the Citizen-Soldier!
Armistice/Remembrance/Veterans Day
In Flanders Fields
by Lt Colonel John McCrae, MD, Canadian Army (1872-1918)
Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Pride of the Lancers "New World"
The Liberty "Pride of the Lancers" Marching Band placed 17th in the Bands of America Super-Regionals last weekend in St. Louis, MO -- missing the finals by 1/10th of a point! The video above is their 2011 exhibition performance "New World", featuring music from Dvořák's "New World Symphony" and Björk's "New World" from Dancer in the Dark -- complete with all the props used in the BOA Super-Regionals (boat, tarps, scrims).
Pride of the Lancers Marching Band: "New World"
Liberty High School's "Pride of the Lancers Marching Band" show off their 2011 exhibition performance "New World", featuring music from Dvorak's "New World Symphony" and Björk's "New World" from "Dancer in the Dark". GO LANCERS!
Today, Labor Day 2011, marks the day we have been residents of the Centennial State longer than we were residents of the Volunteer State.
It doesn't feel like it -- probably because I've been a LOT busier in Colorado than I ever was in Tennessee, or perhaps because I had such a strong connection to Oak Ridge thanks to my alma mater Cal (the source of those Calutrons in Bear Creek Valley's Y-12 plant that purified the fuel for the LITTLE BOY bomb during the Manhattan Project).
We've been a nomadic family. In my youth, I moved a dozen times before High School -- and have moved a nearly a dozen times since College. I've lived in seven states and four Time Zones, while my Bride has lived in six states and five Time Zones. (I've never lived in the Central Time Zone, where she was born....)
Our brief stay in Tennessee was professionally tumultuous: starting a new office for a late-stage startup firm, then leaving that (after 18 months) to start my own LLC, then rejoining the federal workforce.
In contrast, Colorado has been stable: by the time we actually moved to Colorado Springs, I had been with the Modeling & Simulation Directorate of the Missile Defense Agency more than six months -- working out of the Huntsville office while churning through Defense Acquisition Univ. courses. And now, nearly 30 months later, I'm still in the same Directorate (albeit with a brand new contract to leverage) with many of the same people.
Here's to hoping my kids can complete Middle and High School in the same school district....
Pikes Peak Ascent Post-Mortem
Yesterday (Saturday, August 20th 2011) I began my 2nd attempt at ascending Pikes Peak: 13.32 miles, with a net ascent of 7,815' vertical (though the actual ascent is closer to 8,000' due to a couple of brief-but-blissful downhills between No-Name Creek and Barr Camp).
Last year's attempt (in my inaugural Pikes Peak Ascent) came to an abrupt end due to a timekeeping error at the A-Frame (mile 10.2, at 11,700' elev.). However, in hindsight, had I made it even a minute sooner last year, I was wholly unprepared for what lay above the timberline....
So this year I entered the race wiser, more respectful of the mountain, and with a balanced hydration - nutrition - electrolyte strategy.
Mi dos amigos, Peter Molik (triathlete and fast runner) and John Veautour (endurance of a mule and a very fast walker), were able to best the Peak in under 4-1/2 hours. I wasn't in as much of a hurry.... My only goal was to finish in less than 6-1/2 hours -- which is the cut-off for medals and finisher shirts. Nothing else mattered this year, since I have no intention of ever running another marathon (Denver 2010 was my 7th and final).
Preparation for this year's event was predominantly spent in planning. After hiking Mt Sherman in early July, I knew I could walk above 13,000' elevation with little impact. And I also knew that, since I turned 40, my speed has tapered off dramatically -- so no amount of endurance training was going to make me return to my sub-8:00 mile pace of my 30s. Most importantly, I knew I had to plan for sustenance on the mountain more deliberately than I did last year. And after my near-disastrous mountain bike ride down the Barr Trail last month, which resulted in five endo's and a still-scabbed gouge on my left shin (even three weeks later), I at least had seen the trail above timberline....
The top issues in my planning:
- Attire: What you wear will affect your performance. Last year I wore a windbreaker for the entire ascent -- which very likely overheated my core and sapped my endurance. But too little and you'll be unprepared for weather changes above the timberline. So this year I opted for my NYC Marathon long-sleeve technical shirt, running shorts, running shoes (vice trail shoes), no gloves, and a light running ballcap. I also rolled up my Marmot windbreaker and kept it in the webbing of my CamelBak. The start line temparature in Manitou Springs was in the low-60s F.; the finish at Summit six-plus hours later was in the high-50s F. -- so I never needed the windbreaker.
- Hydration: Last year I relied on SmartWater in my CamelBak, which is insufficient for the level of exertion ascending 8,000' of vertical. So this year I had a 2:1 mixture of Gatorade G2 and SmartWater. Also, I took Gatorade at every aid station if available -- water if not. At Barr Camp I refilled my CamelBak with pure Gatorade, and at Mile 12 I filled with plain water for the final mile and a half and the ride down the mountain. Net intake: approx. 150 fl. oz. (or just under five quarts), which is consistent with my body's 16 fl. oz. loss per 30 minutes of exertion (calculated several years ago during my peak marathon days).
- Nutrition: Last year I took a dozen Gu vanilla bean gel packets -- one for every half-hour. But I did not consider the caffeine content in most Gu packets (it's in the fine print at the tear-line), so by my seventh packet I couldn't stomach any more. This year I added a Pemmican Bar (a mixture of bread, nuts and fruits packed into a small dense package) and only took six Gu packets -- one of which I gave away, and one I didn't use. Net intake: 4 Gu, 90% of a Pemmican Bar from Barr Camp to Cirque, a few pretzels, grapes and half-banana at Barr Camp, and one (1) plain M&M (a red one) at A-Frame.
- Electrolytes: This was the biggest gap in my planning last year, and the primary reason for my calf cramping before Barr Camp in the 2010 attempt. The one "Succeed! S-Cap" another ascender shared with me helped for about two miles, so I knew I needed to supplement my marathon-honed hydration/nutrition strategies with an electrolyte strategy. Rather than rely on a Gu every half-hour, I slowed those down to one per hour and split the difference with one "Succeed! S-Cap" (also each hour, at the half-hour mark). I upped my intake above timberline when I felt the first twinges of calf cramping, so my net intake was seven (7) S-Caps.
- Safety: Several years of volunteering with American Red Cross Disaster Action Teams (DATs) and two as a Cub Scout Cubmaster have taught me to anticipate the unexpected. Since I saw some people in bad shape last year (bordering on hyponatremia -- severe loss of electrolytes), I packed my mylar "space blanket" in the event someone on trail needed assistance before El Paso County Search & Rescue could arrive. I also packed my self-adhesive athletic tape (which I did need just past A-Frame, as a 66-year-old participant had severe cramping in his calves) and did a quick refresher on lightning safety (since above treeline, you have little to no cover -- and a likelihood of electrical storms after noon). Thunder above timberline sounds really impressive, so I used that opportunity to tell the others around me -- if they saw lightning -- to crouch low with feet together so you have only one point of contact with the ground; and to do this close to a medium-sized boulder (not the tallest around, which is more prone to be struck). Lastly, I packed a small tube of 30 SPF sunscreen -- which I reapplied twice to my face, ears and neck.
I made it to Barr Camp (mile 8, elev. 10,200') in 2:29:00 -- about 20 minutes faster than last year. So I took a ten minute break, sitting by the fence while eating 1/3 of my Pemmican Bar (plus a couple pretzels and some fruit). Cut-off at Barr Camp was 3:00:00, so I was comfortably ahead of the cut.
Though it was only 2.6 miles from Barr Camp to A-Frame, I was concerned about this final "cut off" -- especially because this was where I was turned back last year! And since the whiteboard at Barr Camp still listed the clock time of 11:45am as the A-Frame cut-off (even though gun time was about two minutes after the scheduled Wave 2 start), I kept a close eye on my watch.
With so many switchbacks in the high-timber forest, it was impossible to gauge just how far you had to go to make it to the A-Frame aid station. So I made announcements at the 30-minute mark so we'd all know we had that long to enter the aid station. I passed the A-Frame cut-off at 3:59:00 -- 80 minutes after leaving Barr Camp (a pace of about 30 minutes per mile). This was 15 minutes faster than last year, and left me 2-1/2 hours to ascend the final three miles to earn my finisher shirt!
After another ten minute break (and another 1/3 of my Pemmican Bar), I set off for the final leg -- my first time ever hiking up the Barr Trail from timberline! Though we were above 12,000' elevation, the trail was wide and mostly clear. The gradient was not as bad as the lower portion of the Barr Trail (especially the "W's"), and the views were truly extraordinary. Looking up (as the photo at the top of this post shows, as we cleared the last trees) was a bit unnerving, since the summit never seemed to get closer. But looking down, especially above treeline, gave a huge morale boost -- "Look at all those people way down there -- and look how high I've already climbed!"
I modified my Galloway-style walk-breaks (since I was only walking) to "breath-breaks" -- every few minutes I sat on a boulder for a minute and took some deep, deliberate breaths. And for those first few steps, I felt like a new man. This continued all the way up to the summit, so my mile pace slowed to about 35-40 minutes. But I was also continuously calculating how far to go in how long to ensure I finished in "shirt time" -- faster than 6-1/2 hours.
When I reached the base of the 16 Golden Stairs (of which there are MANY more than 16; it's really about 300 yards with 400' of vertical, so the net gradient is above 40%), the volunteer said "Welcome to the Stairs -- you need to keep moving in order to make cut-off!" I asked her "We still have 28 minutes, right?" She said yes, so I knew her recommendation was premature. 14-1/2 minutes later, I crossed the finish line (even with three breath-breaks) -- official final time: 6:16:32.
As for my well-being, I had no cramping, no blisters, no sunburn, very minor chafing (from my shorts), and feel excellent the day after. My faster colleagues (who all beat 4-1/2 hours) had to push themselves, but my goal was not to make it as fast as I could force my body to go. I simply wanted the shirt....
Labels: mountain_runner, sport
4th Blogiversary
Four years ago "Wizards of Oz" was launched, and though my musings have recently varied from the narcissistic to the non-existent it is always on my mind. While professional distractions and family duties have diluted the content, I am humbled and grateful for those of you who still drop in from time to time -- over 227,000 visitors since I started counting in late August 2007.
Thank you, and may all of your birthdays and anniversaries be memorable!
Mt. Sherman: Our First 14er
Mt. Sherman (named after the Civil War general) is in Colorado's Mosquito Range, south of Breckenridge and east of Leadville. Thanks to my friend Bob's recommendation, we set off before dawn this past Saturday (July 2nd) so we could be on trail before 9am -- and, more importantly, off the summit before noon to avoid the risk of summer afternoon thunderstorms.
We followed Four Mile Creek Road about ten miles off the highway (nine of which were over rutted gravel) and parked a half-mile short of the 12,000' elev. gate. Trail reports from 14ers.com indicated that the road was dry all the way to the gate, and no additional traction was necessary to cross the few snow fields on the southwest ridge route. I'm very glad we brought the hiking sticks, though!
The Mosquito Range was rich in precious metals, forming a high barrier between the rift valleys of the Arkansas River headwaters (to the west, near Leadville) and the South Platte River (to the east, near Fairplay). Mt. Sherman's Hilltop Mine produced more than 10 million ounces of silver (valued at over $300 million in 2010 prices). So abandoned mines are a common sight on Mt. Sherman.
Several shelters are still standing, showing that the mines weren't abandoned until the past couple of decades. The Hilltop Mine was in operation until 1982.
Despite being in the height of summer, there were several snow fields to cross en route to the summit. Fortunately the pack was firm enough that we simply had to follow the footprints of our predecessors.
Jarrett was pretty winded after the first half-mile of the trek, but quickly found his groove and his second wind. By the time we passed 13,000' above sea level, Jarrett turned into a mountain goat -- leaving old guys like me and Bob in the dust (until we told him to stop and take a drink to, y'know, stay hydrated..... and let us catch up!)
Mt. Sherman's Southwest Ridge Route is rated as a "Class 2" trail in the Yosemite Decimal System: still a "hiking trail" (vice a "climbing trail" that requires ropes and harnesses), but with some exposure and some portions requiring the use of your hands.
Looking left and down (to the west) from 13,600' shows a much more difficult approach.... Class 5 ascents in the Yosemite Decimal System are indicative of near-vertical faces requiring technical free climbing with belaying and other protection for safety (and are further stratified into more than a dozen sub-classes). Jarrett has scaled a Class 5.7 ascent before (see here).
Jarrett reached the summit before me. Here he is signing the log book indicating he has successfully ascended a 14er! By shortly before 11:00am MDT, we had reached our goal (and found two Geocaches along the way). Our MotionX GPS track can be viewed here.
On top o' the world, 14,036' above sea level!
But then we had to go back down....
Thankfully the snowpack just below 13,500' was well established for a glissading descent! Just like at the water park (except for the snow that ended up in all of my pockets....)
A great day all around, and a great start to many more ascents of Colorado's 53 "14ers"!
2dB: Road Trip 2011
Road Trip 2011 for the Deichman Family was a rare Point-to-Point (rather than our usual "loop" with abundant freeloading on our wonderful friends and family). After more than two years as a resident of the Centennial State, Renee needed a beach....
So we set off for the best and closest beach we could find: Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 1,400 miles from home and nestled in the middle of the "Emerald Coast" of the western Florida panhandle. The water acts as a natural air conditioner, so the 90-plus F. temperatures and 80%-plus relative humidity was bearable. Also, the Emerald Coast has remarkably few bugs (unlike other parts of the Southeast) and the white sand is as fine as talcum powder. Our dear friend Nicole has a great place on Cinco Bayou, and was a wonderful host for our family of five. And each day she treated us to a different beach experience:
Day One: Fort Walton Beach (aka AlgaeFest)
Near the east end of Okaloosa Island's south shore, we parked by the Boardwalk for our first day at the beach. Sophiepeanut had a great time working with her new sand toys, with Dad helping her build the parapets for her Princess Castle.
Unfortunately, the algae count was especially high at this particular beach -- so we're still picking it out of the velcro on our swimsuits....
Day Two: Crab Island (aka the Partyin' Sandbar)
Crab Island is a sandbar just inside the Destin Inlet to Choctawatchee Bay. Boats will approach from the channel, then cut the engines to be walked into the "island". We got a primo spot near the middle of the sandbar, not far from the floating sound stage (with live music!) and floating volleyball court. The bar next to the stage was offering free Ziploc Margaritas, and "Helen Back Pizza Parlor" gave out free slices nearby.
Jarrett found several hermit crabs, hence the island's name:
And Sophiepeanut got to ride her own boat!
Day Three: Destin Beach (aka Fathers' Day Napping)
Need I say more?
While the ladies swam, Jarrett spent the entire time Boogieboarding or Bodysurfing:
Day Four: Cape San Blas (aka Shell Hunt)
Our "Mini-Roadtrip" on the day after Fathers' Day took us east along the Gulf coast, past Panama City (home to Hunt's Oyster Bar, our lunch stop shown above -- with the best Appalachicola Oysters to be found!) to Cape San Blas.
Since Cape San Blas is right at the bend in the coast, where the Florida Panhandle meets the Florida Peninsula, the currents are very dynamic. The Cape San Blas Lighthouse ended up nearly 100 yards offshore due to the shifting sand bars and ever-changing littoral topography, so they moved it to its present location (on one of Eglin AFB's test ranges). While the shelling wasn't quite as abundant as we had hoped, the beach did offer blissful solitude compared to our previous beach days....
Day Five: Spectre Island (aka Restricted Area Fun)
Nic, being a former Test Squadron CO, has knowledge of hide-aways unknown (and inaccessible) to most locals. "Spectre Island" is between the barrier island and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, just off the approach to the flight line at Hurlburt Field (home to the Air Force Special Operations Command, AFSOC). This deserted island offered another secluded beach, a wide variety of fish and crustaceans in the shallows, and another different beach experience than our previous four days.
Our return trip allowed us to do touch-and-go's at some old favorites, like Cafe du Monde in New Orleans:
... and a new favorite: Avery Island, Louisiana, home to the McIlhenny Tabasco factory:
It also saw Sophiepeanut (who is not yet three years old) log her 34th and 35th U.S. states:
(Sorry, Sean & tdaxp: Iowa still remains "unseen" by the Peanut M&M!)
While we wish we had the time to travel a few hundred miles farther to see our other Florida friends (or even farther to the OBX of North Carolina, and our Virginia friends), this was a fun and relaxing trip for all!


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Esse é o Bimbo na janela do quanto dos meus pais.
2 responses
je suis moi gave props (10 Nov 2012):
Waiting on a friend.. / or lover
Jefferson Matos said (11 Nov 2012):
Yes, he looks at the wall. =P
Also by Jefferson Matos

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Athenians the same summer, with sixty galleys, two thousand men of arms, and a few horsemen, taking with them also the Milesians and some other of their confederates, made war upon Cythera, under the conduct of Nicias, the son of Niceratus, Nicostratus, the son of Diotrephes, and Autocles, the son of Tolmaeus.
This Cythera is an island upon the coast of Laconia, over against Malea.
The inhabitants be Lacedaemonians, of the same that dwell about them.
And every year there goeth over unto them from Sparta a magistrate called Cyther- odikes. They likewise sent over men of arms from time to time to lie in the garrison there, and took much care of the place.
For it was the place where their ships used to put in from Egypt and Libya, and by which Laconia was the less infested by thieves from the sea, being that way only subject to that mischief.
For the island lieth wholly out into the Sicilian and Cretic seas.
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"Hi, my name is Tom Court and i am 20 years old, living on the isle of wight in the UK. However i spend a lot of my time traveling around the world to the PKRA world kitesurfing tour stops, competing with the worlds best athletes for a world ranking. Always having grown up around sailing and water sports, I decided to follow a career as a professional athlete in kitesurfing and sports marketing. Kitesurfing is a sport that i love and a passion that i have followed into a career, competing in both freestyle and racing disciplines. Having left school after my A-levels in the UK, I am now competing for a ranking in the worlds top 10. Here is a little more information on me, my results and everything else: Name: Tom Court Age: 20 Nationality: British Living: Isle of Wight, UK Years Kiteboarding: 8 Sponsors: North Kiteboarding (NKB), Animal Clothing, Wightlink Ferries, Sailingnetworks.com Contest Results: World Ranking: 11th 2008/09 Last UK ranking: 1st Under 18's 2003 1st WA Australian Invitational 08 7th PKRA world tour Venezuela 08 7th PKRA world tour France 08 9th PKRA world tour Germany 08 9th PKRA world tour Mexico 08 9th PKRA world racing series Mexico 08 9th PKRA world tour Chile 08 9th PKRA world tour Cabarete 08 "
Offshore or inshore and why?
inshore, cos there are waves
What is your best sailing memory?
6 women on a boat topless
Who or what first introduced you to sailing?
my parents, windsurfing then kiteboarding
What item of sailing kit could you not do without at sea?
my kite
What is your worst sailing memory?
no wind
What is the longest passage you have done (without stops)?
30miles down wind
What, if anything, have you learned from your experiences sailing?
What is your favourite sailing venue(s) and why?
south africa or venezuela...nice and warm good wind and waves
What is your favourite boat(s) and why?
boards...and laser's, speed!
What is the fastest you have sailed and on what boat was it?
30 knots +
favourite venue
south africa
favourite boat
favourite bar / pub
favourite bands
hip hop
favourite films
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text:
Stationery Cards
20% Off + Free Shipping - Ends Tonight at Midnight PT!
Set of folded stationery cards printed on bright white, smooth card stock to bring your personal artistic style to everyday correspondence. Each card is blank on the inside and includes a soft white, European fold envelope for mailing.
This was originally designed as a cross-stitch pattern. The pattern is available here: pixelpowerdesign.com/shop/alphabets/product/show/6-harry-potter-alphabet
A=Albus Dumbledore
B=Sirius Black
C=Cho Chang
D=Draco Malfoy
E=Elf (Dobby the House Elf)
F=Argus Filch
G=Hermione Granger
I=Igor Karkaroff
J=James Potter
K=Kingsley Shacklebolt
L=Bellatrix Lestrange
M=Mad-Eye Moody
N=Neville Longbottom
O=Mr. Ollivander
P=Harry Potter
Q=Quirinus Quirrell
R=Remus Lupin
S=Severus Snape
T=Nymphadora Tonks
U=Dolores Umbridge
V=Lord Voldemort
W=Ron Weasley
X=Xenophilius Lovegood
Z=Blaise Zabini
pixel, harry potter, alphabet, abc, movie, book, characters


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Re: How to do curved arrows?
On 10/7/09 at 7:02 AM, replicatorzed at gmail.com (Istv=C3=A1n) wrote: >is there a way to draw curves with arrowheads in a convenient way? I >did not find anything relevant in the doc.center, nor in the group >archives. It is certainly possible to draw curves with arrowheads. For example, Show[Graphics@{Circle[{0, 0}, .5, {0, Pi/2}], Arrow[{{.5, 0}, {.5, -.1}}, .1]}]


text:
Invaluable cannot guarantee the accuracy of translations through Google Translate and disclaims any responsibility for inaccurate translations.
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Lot 132: CAVE À PARFUMS
Art, antiques and Collectibles
by Sigalas
29 October 2016
Hildrizhausen, Germany
Live AuctionPast Lot
Looking for the realised and estimated price?
Description: CAVE À PARFUMS France, ca. 1900 Wooden box with root veneer with brass border, inlays and ligated monogram, hinged lid and lock with key included, two glass bottles with gold staffage and stopper in the interior, height of bottles ca. 8cm; box ca. 10x14x8cm.


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Invaluable cannot guarantee the accuracy of translations through Google Translate and disclaims any responsibility for inaccurate translations.
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Lot 228: GARNIER, M. France ca. 1900 Bouquet of roses. Oil
Art, antiques and Collectibles
by Sigalas
29 October 2016
Hildrizhausen, Germany
Live AuctionPast Lot
Looking for the realised and estimated price?
Description: GARNIER, M. France ca. 1900 Bouquet of roses. Oil on panel, signed. 16x10.6cm, framed.


text:
LinkBack | Thread Tools |
01-08-2013, 07:21 PM | #11 (permalink) | |
Intermediate User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Southern California (Ventura County)
Posts: 90
I HAVE A 13 week old pup and does the same exact thing...they're going through their "teenage" phase right now. Drives ya nuts right? lol
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01-08-2013, 09:57 PM | #12 (permalink) |
New User
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 10
I love this!! My baby girl Isabel is exactly the same!! She is 3 months old. My kids love it that she chases feet. I'm not exactly thrilled about it. I just figured she would out grow it. I think they are fun at this age. It is like having a toddler all over again. I'm glad I get to be home all day with her though!!
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01-18-2013, 10:19 AM | #13 (permalink) | |
Intermediate User
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 49
Puppy biting and loss of interest..
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01-18-2013, 11:14 AM | #14 (permalink) |
Power User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Gardena, CA
Posts: 477
The only suggestion I have is to train him the "Leave it" and "Come" command. I do treat training for my 2, who are very easily distracted. The trick is to have something that is "more valuable" in their eyes with you to get their attention. Like a toy or a treat....not sure what Murphy considers "currency" some like toys, some like treats...whatever his "currency" is use that to get the desired action, then, when he obeys TONS OF PRAISE AND ATTABOYS!!!! Too let him know that you approve of the behavior. The "watch me" command is also a very handy command. If there is a certain thing that you do not want him chewing on, you approach him say "no" and exchange it for something he can have. Don't take away something without exchanging it for something he can have. Never have him come to you to correct or else he will never come to you on command, he will associate that coming to you means correction or disappointment, so he will not come. Remember if you want to correct him on a behavior....always approach him, never have him come to you then correct him. He will associate coming to you as bad. Coming to you, needs to be fun and rewarding at all times, with his "currency" in hand and a happy excited voice. Because when you need it the most, like getting out of the way of an angry dog or a vehicle the command is going to save his life. "Come" means "drop what you are doing and come to me". It take a while to train this command but it is well worth it. Hope this helps.
~~~~ Chelley ~ R.I.P Daisy - Taken too soon 12/15/2011 - 07/08/2014 ~~~ |
01-18-2013, 01:19 PM | #15 (permalink) |
Intermediate User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Southern California (Ventura County)
Posts: 90
Puppy biting and loss of interest..
So normal! We are going through the same. Be firm with him through your voice and let him know your the master. These are the tough times, but enjoy them
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01-18-2013, 01:33 PM | #16 (permalink) |
Super User
your baby is gonna go through so many stages, so he will be changing. like some said teenage years or psycho stage lol. Be firm with him and make sure he knows your the boss, in charge. Our dually was a biter, no so much with me but my fiance. We do an immediate "Aaaat" and thats it. then i ask her for kisses and i usually get them. she knows shes not supposed to and she has gotten alot better.
i just printed off some articles on Nothing in life is free (nilif), i know some others use this method and i hope to get working with Dually on it once i read up on it. he is still very young and just be firm and consistent, not harsh but firm. it will all be good |
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Thursday, March 23, 2017
Whitehouse Quad Redesign
As described above, parking will be relocated from the Whitehouse quadrangle. Approximately 145 spaces can be accommodated by expanding the lot immediately downslope and north of Whitehouse. The College may deem this development shown on plan drawings as unnecessary, given that the lower lots rarely get much use now. Combined with the generous allotment of parking campus wide, as compared above with campuses nationwide, full replacement of even this much parking does not seem wholly necessary.


text:
Here is a picture with the mold for the bonnet.
Here is a picture with the mold for the bonnet.
In the factory where my father works they do forming for aluminum and stainless sheets like that. Most of the forms are for lawn mowers but they've also built jet engine shipping containers and some other cool stuff. I keep telling him to let his company know they could make a fortune if they could recreate the left fenders.
That reminds me, I need to ask him for some scrap stainless to tinker with.
Born - October 1981
Brought back to life - July 2011
Posts: 1,068
For newbies' benefit: stainless panels were not made at the Dunmurry plant, but were stamped at a Laepple facility in Carlow Ireland. Stainless sheets were already grained when they went into the presses (one of the pilot cars has a panel accidentally oriented 90 degrees off in the press -- grain runs vertically):
PilotVerticalGrain2.jpg PilotVerticalGrain1.jpg
Regarding hoods in particular: there is a myth that gas flap hoods were eliminated due to stamping problems, but in actuality they were eliminated simply because Chuck Bennington didn't like them (Dick Brown may have told employees stateside that the idea to get rid of them was his).
Bill Robertson
Last edited by content22207; 09-15-2011 at 10:52 AM.
Location: Previously Ireland, now New Jersey
Posts: 320
My VIN: 4 Seater DMC24
Club(s): (DMA)
Hi Bill,
On the dmctalk.com forum before the crash, we chatted about this before. Unfortunately it's all gone now.
Anyway, not to get into a big debate on this, but the gas-flap cutout did cause issues for Lapple, and was most likely part of the decision (along with other factors, including possibly your point about Chuck Bennington) to get rid of it.
The Gas flap was deleted by Chuck Bennington because the design was Mickey Mouse and looked feeble. It was not done for cost reduction or ease of stamping reasons.
Nick Sutton
Location: Previously Ireland, now New Jersey
Posts: 320
My VIN: 4 Seater DMC24
Club(s): (DMA)
Ok Nick, fair enough!
Posts: 1,068
The quarter panels are much more complex stampings/cutouts than the hood.
Bill Robertson
Location: Chicagoland area
Posts: 1,550
My VIN: A few, by name... DeLorean Monster Truck, DeLorean Roadster, DeLorean Hovercraft, DeLorean Limo
Club(s): (DMWC) (DCUK)
QAC in Troy, MI...Parts Notebook Details...For Reference...
A huge thanks to Chris Duvall (Parts POG) for allowing Tony Swann and myself
(and a few other typing volunteers) to enter all of the Parts data from the QAC
Notebook from the QAC in Troy, MI, into spreadsheet and database formats.
There will be a future website that will have a search function to allow anyone
to search the Parts Database, to see if their DeLorean was ever at the Troy QAC
and had parts replaced, while Chris Duvall was in charge of the Parts Inventory.
A few statistics (for now): Chris Duvall was over-seeing the QAC Parts Inventory
in Troy, MI from 08/19/1981 through 03/01/1982, and during that time, nearly
6,200 parts were used on the DeLoreans that passed through the Troy QAC.
More details and statistics to follow.
Rich W.
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 5,693
My VIN: 10757
Club(s): (DMA)
I was always under the impression there were only 2 QAC's. One in California and one in New Jersey. It is news to me about MI. Were there any others? It made sense about one on each coast since most of the cars came in to the US by ship.
David Teitelbaum
Posts: 1,068
Didn't the POG's at DCS'10 say there were 5 QAC's altogether, but never more than 3 at any one time?
Bill Robertson


text:
A new study supports the use of a DNA-based "biomarker" blood test as a complement to the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test currently offered to screen men for prostate cancer.
University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers report their findings online ahead of print in the British Journal of Cancer.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of existing published data related to DNA methylation in bodily fluids. The goal was to evaluate a specific cancer biomarker -- known as GSTP1 -- as a screening tool for prostate cancer.
The study was a cross-disciplinary collaborative effort of UC molecular epidemiologist Tianying Wu, MD, PhD, epigenetic expert and UC environmental health chair Shuk-Mei Ho, PhD, former UC environmental health post-doc Wang-Yee Tang, PhD, UC statistician Jeff Welge and Harvard cancer epidemiologist Edward Giovannucci, MD. Wu's postdoctoral fellow Palash Mallick, PhD, also contributed to the study.
Wu merged epidemiologic and molecular data from 22 studies conducted in the United States and Europe between 2000 and 2009. More than 2000 human biologic samples (1,635 prostate cancer cases and 573 controls) were analyzed for the current study, including whole blood, plasma, urine, ejaculates and other secretions.
Wu determined that GSTP1 was a statistically significant biomarker for prostate cancer and could increase the specificity of prostate cancer diagnosis by up to 70 percent as compared to using the PSA test alone.
"The PSA test is highly sensitive, but it cannot differentiate between prostate cancer and benign prostatic conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, leading many men to have unnecessary biopsies," says Wu, lead author of the study and assistant professor of environmental health at UC.
"It is unlikely that we would find a marker that has the same sensitivity as PSA," she adds, "but finding a highly specific circulating biomarker like GSTP1 that complements the PSA test could greatly improve the accuracy of prostate cancer detection before recommending patients for an invasive biopsy."
Alterations of the DNA methylation process are commonly associated with cancerous tumor growth and changes can be detected in bodily fluids. GSTP1 DNA methylation is particularly associated with prostate cancer and can be detected in the bloodstream using high throughput standardized molecular biology techniques
"Measuring GSTPI in plasma or urine is an easy and non-invasive test. This biomarker will give physicians reassurance regards to whether to conduct biopsies in selected patients," adds Wu.
Funding for this project was provided through a number of sources, including the National Cancer Institute, UC's Center for Environmental Genetics and Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with additional support from Ho's NIH grants and Wu's research start-up funds.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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text:
Sophocles or Sofokles was the second of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived to the present day. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than those of Euripides. According to the Suda, a 10th century encyclopedia, Sophocles wrote 120 or more plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form, namely Ajax, Antigone, Trachinian Women, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost 50
More on Wikipedia…
(89 quotes found)
"Not to be born is, past all prizing, best."
"They command us, though they speak no words."
"No more shall ye behold such sights of woe, deeds I have suffered and myself have wrought; henceforward quenched in darkness shall ye see those ye should ne'er have seen; now blind to those whom, when I saw, I vainly yearned to know."
"Of no mortal say, 'That man is happy,' till vexed by no grievous ill he pass life's goal."
"Time is a kindly God"
"For the dead there are no more toils."
"A short saying often contains much wisdom."
"Kindness gives birth to kindness."
"To a man who is afraid everything rustles."


text:
Interior Design Level 3
Home Study Zone£ 295 - (Rs 23,822)
Important information
- Course
- Online
- When:
Subscription options are available on most courses, starting at £19.99. See website for details.The following course, offered by Home Study Zone, will help you improve your skills and achieve your professional goals. During the program you will study different subjects which are deemed to be useful for those who want to enhance their professional career. Sign up for more information!
Requirements: No entry requirements
VenuesStarts | Location |
Flexible |
What you'll learn on the course
Windows | Lighting | Design | Project | ||||||
Planning | Business Plan | Architectural | Skills and Training | ||||||
Fabrics | Interior Design |
Course programme
The Interior Design Level 3 course will teach you the following objectives:-
- Understand the history of interior design
- Learn about classic design styles and the work of leading designers
- Investigate the seven design elements which contribute to a design,
- Explore the room elements which influence design
- Undertake an actual interior design project
- Develop a business plan for establishing a design business and also to identify tools of the trade.
Do you have a flair for design and would enjoy seeing an idea in your head forming into reality by adding those vital finishing touches that can really make a room come to life? Interior designers are creative, imaginative and artistic. They also need to be disciplined, organised and skilled business people. Combining knowledge with aesthetic vision, interior designers work with clients and other design professionals to develop design solutions that are safe, functional, attractive and meet the needs of the people using the space.
Module 1 ‰ÛÒ The Origins of Design
- The origins of Interior design
- Influences through the ages
- Great Designers of our recent past
Module 2 ‰ÛÒ Interior Design Styles
- Design Styles
- Design concepts that embrace ecological consideration
Module 3 ‰ÛÒ Planning an Interior Design Project
- Planning the project
- Pre-planning checks
- Planning tools
Module 4 ‰ÛÒ Design Elements
- Space
- Colour
- Balance
- Texture and Pattern
- Scale
- Line
- Form
Module 5 ‰ÛÒ Physical Elements of Design
- Architectural Details
- Windows
- Doors
- Flooring
- Lighting
- Wall treatments
- Window dressing
- Fabrics
- Accessories
Module 6 ‰ÛÒ Making a Living from Interior Design
- Have you got what it takes to be an Interior Designer?
- Setting up a small business
- Writing a business plan
- Methods of payment
- Tax
- National Insurance
- Insurance Awarding Organisation
- Health & safety
Do you see something that is not right in this course? Let us know if there are any mistakes and you will help users like yourself.


text:
"This investment by Chevron, a multinational LNG player, represents a key step in the development of LNG export from
The sale of
Further details with respect to the terms of the sale are not being disclosed by the parties.
ADVISORY REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS - In the interests of providing
These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things: volatility of, and assumptions regarding natural gas and liquids prices, including substantial or extended decline of the same and their adverse effect on the Company's operations and financial condition and the value and amount of its reserves; assumptions based upon the Company's current guidance; fluctuations in currency and interest rates; risk that the Company may not conclude divestitures of certain assets or other transactions (including third-party capital investments, farm-outs or partnerships, which
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. In addition, assumptions relating to such forward-looking statements generally include
Furthermore, the forward looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law,
Contacts:Encana Corporation - Investor contact:Ryder McRitchie Vice-President, Investor Relations& Communications (403) 645-2007Encana Corporation - Investor contact:Lorna Klose Manager, Investor Relations (403) 645-6977Encana Corporation - Media contact:Jay Averill Media Relations (403) 861-2392
News Provided by Acquire Media
ECA stock price
As of 2017-03-24 16:01. Minimum 15 minute delay


text:
Tropical Fish Keeping - Aquarium fish care and resources
- Beginner Freshwater Aquarium
- - Cycling tank from existing tank
Cycling tank from existing tank Well, it looks like I'll be setting up a 5-6 gallon tank for my dwarf puffers that may be starting to go after my other fish. Using some existing water, gravel & filter squeezings from my established tank, how long would it take to cycle the new tank? My main tank is an Eclipse 12 with biowheel, if I buy an Eclipse 5 can I use the biowheel from the 12 in the 5 to cycle it faster? My concern there would be initiating a mini cycle in the 12, which I don't want obviously. I think this is an option that I probably don't want to explore, but I figured I'd through it out there. |
You are correct to think of seeding the filter media with the larger filter wheel, if it will fit (or just float it in the new tank for a few days). How long has the 12 been set up? If its well established, borrowing the wheel for a few days shouldn't hurt anything. As for how long, that is entirely up to your tank. Every tank cycles differently and at a different rate. There is no way to predict this in advance, only to offer a generalized guess, which would be dependent on how much bacteria is transfered to the new tank, how much waste is in the new tank to feed it, and how much of it dies during transfer... there is no real way of knowing those things unless you are head of a science lab and have access to the proper equipment and were able to find a way to test enough of the water without disrupting it... The best thing anyone can tell you is to track it with your test kits. |
Thanks! The 12 has been up since November, so it should have a good colony built up. |
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Newcastle Emlyn (Welsh: Castell Newydd Emlyn) is a town straddling the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in west Wales (though officially it is in Carmarthenshire) and lying on the River Teifi. Adpar is the part of the town that lies on the Ceredigion side of the River Teifi. It was formerly called Trefhedyn and was an ancient Welsh borough in its own right. [edit] Research Tips


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Browse other items in the Messina Estates II collection from Wayside Furniture in the Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Medina, Youngstown, Ohio area.
Several aspects of this seven drawer dresser's design contribute to its classic look. Whether you are considering its English dovetail design, applied post carvings or antiquated bail hardware, you must be struck by its understated elegance. There are also many features which enhance the usability of this piece. The drawers slide effortlessly on full extension metal drawer glides and contain bottom case dust proof panels. All drawer interiors are fully finished and the top drawers include felt liners. Another benefit of this piece is it sturdy construction. It is built from select hardwood solids and birch veneers.
The Messina Estates II Traditional 7 Drawer Dresser by Liberty Furniture from Wayside Furniture. We proudly serve the Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Medina, Youngstown, Ohio area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
This items features a felt-lined top drawer to help you organize and protect your accessories. The felt-lining prevents metal items from scratching the wood, and holds items in place, ensuring delicate pieces like necklaces and bracelets don't get tangled as you open and close the drawer. Eliminate the need for bulky jewelry boxes and keep your fragile items organized with the thoughtfully included felt-lined top drawer.
Drawers are constructed with dovetail joinery, ensuring long-lasting strength and storage. Made up of interlocking wedge-shaped elements called pins and tails, the joint connects drawer fronts, sides, and backs, designed to withstand the daily pulling forces you apply when you open a drawer, for problem-free use. A time-tested joint that predates written history, dovetail drawers are a mark of quality furniture construction.
Drawers are outfitted with metal side drawer glides to ensure drawers open smoothly despite daily use. The full-extension glides allow the drawer to extend completely, so that you can take advantage of the drawer's space and easily access items stored at the back of the drawer. Whereas wood on wood guides may be susceptible to warping over time, metal glides provide reliable drawer operation strong enough to withstand daily activity.
The designers of the Messina Estates collection understand that good taste is timeless. That is why this collection skillfully incorporates many elements of traditional, Queen Anne-style furniture style, such as scrolled metal accents, antique brass or silver hardware, applied post carvings and decorative bed post capitals. Furthermore, this collection is also constructed with wonderful usability in mind. The drawers have fully finished interiors and bottom case dust proof panels and slide effortlessly on full extension metal side drawers glides. The top drawers of each cabinet contain felt lining. Give your home a touch of luxury and elegance with this gorgeous collection.
The Messina Estates II collection is a great option if you are looking for Traditional furniture in the Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Medina, Youngstown, Ohio area.
These images are representative of this group as a whole and may differ from this item.
This item has been tagged as: Dresser, Bedroom Dresser, Dresser Chest, Chest of Drawers, Dresser Set, Dresser and Mirror, Bedroom Furniture, Bedroom Storage, Bureau, Clothing Storage, Linen Storage, Bedroom Cabinet, Chiffonier, Bedroom Closet, Highboy, Wardrobe, Vanity, Vanity with Hutch, Make - Up Table, Make Up Table with Hutch, Dresser to Sit At, Vanity Dressers, Large Commode
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text: Build a Garage Door Opener Into Your CarWhitson Gordon5/22/14 4:30amFiled to: diyhouseholdelectronicsgaragehomecarsvideo231EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalinkGot a garage door opener that you'd like to turn into a permanent fixture? DIY guru Kip Kay shows us how to do it simply and cheaply, with just a little electronics work. Advertisement Regular clip-on garage door openers are fine for most people, but if you have an open car—like Kip's Jeep Wrangler—or want to do some extra hacking on it, this project is pretty neat. All you need are a few basic electronics parts (like some wire and a switch) from your local store, some soldering skills, and a case to put it all in—Kip uses an old breath mint case. The end result is a small, subtle switch right on your dash.Of course, you could also build something that opens your garage with your smartphone, or with Siri, but this is pretty darn simple. Check out the video to see the whole process. Garage Door Opener Hack! | KipKay via How-To GeekReply23 repliesLeave a reply


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Mom Confessions
Featured Posts
This annoys the shit out of me. I have three friends on Facebook (people that I know personally - two family members and one old friend) who have their boyfriend's last name listed as their on.
Don't play wifey if you aren't married. And if you don't feel the need for "a piece of paper" or "vows are just words" then fine, but don't parade around pretending to be something you aren't. Shit's worse than wearing a big ass CZ wedding ring. Fake! (which is an entirely different debate...).
I take pride in being married. Marriage is a holy unity to me. It isn't something I take lightly and neither should anyone else. So for a 16yo who's knocked up by her boyfriend and living with his parents to carry on like she's married... yeah, *eyeroll*. Or for a woman who's been living with her baby daddy for 3 years, but the man won't actually propose to her, to wear his last name like she's married. Ugh.
I am proud to call myself my husband's wife and proud to have his last name.
Why do people get all riled up over absolutely nothing? It's like we LOOK for things to bytch abt
You should get some business of your own so you have something legit to be angry and passionate about instead of fb titles and other womens' wedding rings. Good luck with that.
by Anonymous 4October 8, 2012 at 11:42 PMWho cares? Why does it affect your life so much?
by Anonymous 4October 8, 2012 at 11:42 PMDamn!
by Anonymous 4October 8, 2012 at 11:43 PMPlz. Im gon say my man is ,y hubs whether we is legal married or not. Idontgivafaq we is married were it really mattered and watz?
by Anonymous 5October 8, 2012 at 11:43 PMShe can legally change her last name w/o actually getting married, you could change your name to Morgan le fey. It's Facebook no big deal.
You're too Gangnam Style for me!


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Tuesday, June 12, 2012
2 No Bake Cookie Dough Bites that are good for you!
So I have recently become obsessed with a blog called Chocolate Covered Katie. It is a healthy dessert blog. I know "healthy dessert" might seem to be a bit of an oxymoron but Katie really makes these crazy delicious desserts that actually taste great.
I admit, I am still a little skeptical of some her recipes, a lot of them are vegan and use some "odd" ingredients. Well, "odd" to me anyway.
These two recipes I am sharing today are from her blog and, I believe, they are both vegan.
What I do know for sure is - they are both delicious! and so, so, so easy to make.
Stop by her blog - Chocolate Covered Katie to see more of her great creations.
German Chocolate Fudge Bites
1 1/2 cup pitted dates
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw pecans
Blend all ingredients together very well using a food processor. Squish the dough together. Roll into balls, cookie-cuttered shapes, or bars… or you can even use it for a pie crust!
Sooooo good!
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup raisins
pinch salt
1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts
11/4 tsp vanilla
Throw everything into your food processor and combine until very smooth. Roll into balls, cookies, or even bars!
It was a little difficult to figure out the nutritional info for these as it all depends on how big you make them. I made some very teeny, tiny changes and doubled the recipes as well.
From my best guess I (using Fitday) I would put the bites at approx 50 calories per bite. This is if you make 24 bites out of either recipe above.
They are both VERY rich and if you were having a real sweet craving then 1 or 2 would probably satisfy you.
I think the peanut butter bites are my favorite BUT I still love the German chocolate ones. They are both addicting. I find I keep them out of sight in the fridge or freezer and only take out 1 or 2 when I need one.
One of the greastest things about both of these recipes....... hardly any prep. Throw everything into a food processor and let it go to town. You don't even have to roll them into balls if you don't want to - you can just press it into a pan a slice it.
What's better than easy AND tasty?
3 comments:
Made the chocolate ones with the kids for dessert tonight. Took about 5 minutes, had to substitute the pecans for a handful of almonds and sunflower seeds and they turned out AMAZING! Not sure how you could stop at just one or two :) The kids (3 and 5) had fun shaping them into snakes and funny balls and of course shoving them into their mouths! Thanks for a fab recipe! Will try the peanutbutter ones soon.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and I made both of the recipes. They were a big hit!!! My favorite is the peanut butter bites but my daughters like the German chocolate ones the best. I did have to use almonds instead of peanuts and pecans because I already had those in the pantry. Thank you so much for sharing these healthy recipes.
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At a glance
- Originator Eli Lilly
- Class Antithrombotics; Indoles; Piperidines; Small molecules
- Mechanism of Action Thrombin inhibitors
Orphan Drug Status
Orphan designation is assigned by a regulatory body to encourage companies to develop drugs for rare diseases.
On Fast track
Fast track status is assigned by the US FDA so therapies with the potential to address unmet needs can move faster through development.
Highest Development Phases
- No development reported Thrombosis
Most Recent Events
- 22 Feb 1999 New profile
- 22 Feb 1999 Preclinical development for Thrombosis in USA (Unknown route)


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SwimSmart: What to Do if You Need Help During the Swim
IRONMAN Canada swim course director Tim Johnson offers tips on putting the new SwimSmart modifications into practice.
The IRONMAN Foundation Ambassador Team watch the funds they raised in Arizona for KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now) in action.
Lisez Plus ▻Race your best this year on one of triathlon's most highly esteemed courses.
Lisez Plus ▻In the latest episode of Mission Apolo: BUILT WITH CHOCOLATE MILK, 8-time world-champion short-track speedskater Apolo Ohno and his teammate Jen Ator,...
Lisez Plus ▻


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Now, moving to a new place in the middle of winter largely sucks. You should avoid it, trust me; I've done it twice now. Am doing it for the second time, since we're not quite done. Monday marks the end of our lease at the old place, so that's pretty much our drop-dead deadline to get things out and the old place cleaned and patched.
Moving while trying to not take any time off from a full-time job is a pain under the best of circumstances. Hauling heavy objects in bitter wind over snow and ice on cold days and through mud on not-so-cold days. Dealing with two! count them, two! expensive natural gas bills from two different domiciles if you have lease overlap.
And then there are friends who worriedly ask how the move is going and tut-tut that you're not done yet -- but these people, of course, haven't once offered to help. And if you suggest you could use some help, they cough delicately into their hands or rub their backs, saying "It's the cold. It plays hell with my system. Sorry, can't."
Thanks, bud. We appreciate it.
How does that joke go? Ah, yes: "Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies." Apparently Transitional Man is our only local friend; I haven't had a corpse for him to help with yet, but the way I've been feeling these days about Life, The Universe, and Everything, it may only be a matter of time before he gets presented with that little litmus test.
I'm digressing, aren't I? Oopsie.
Back to the point: why the hell are we moving in the middle of winter?
Reason #1: that's when we were able to buy the house we're moving into. Buying the house is a story unto itself, and I won't go into it here.
Reason #2: our apartment was expensive and falling apart. We moved into this apartment because our previous apartment got a roof leak that, left untreated by management, turned into a ceiling collapse. Because of my then-unemployment, we couldn't move someplace nicer. I see the signs in the ceiling worsening every day. Time to get out.
Reason #3: a drug dealer moved into the apartment townhouse three doors down from us.
Now, okay, since I haven't myself purchased illegals from him, all my evidence is pretty circumstantial. But there has been an awful lot of short-term traffic in and out of his apartment.
Case in point: Braunbeck was outside taking a 5-minute smoke break. In that time, three cars pulled up to the other apartment, and people got out, ran inside, ran back to their cars and peeled away. If they had passengers, the passengers noticed Braunbeck standing there and promptly covered their faces with their jacket collars or hands.
Yeah. He's selling Girl Scout Cookies in there.
Now, I'm not all about the War on Drugs. I think there are better ways of handling it. I think history pretty clearly lays out that prohibition is expensive, leads to police action that restricts civil liberties across the board (oh, how I love peeing in cups just to get a job!), and ultimately fails to keep people from abusing psychoactive chemicals.
Since this guy moved in, the character of our end of the complex has gone from old hippies and immigrant po' folk to some fairly shady characters hanging out at all hours. I am frankly afraid to be in my apartment alone after dark.
(Side note: Braunbeck just read this and told me that at one point a few weeks back he saw two guys, one of whom appeared to have a gun in his waistband, peeking in our back patio window. He opted not to tell me this because it would freak me out and we could do nothing about it. Consider me freaked out now.)
And there's a reason they call it drug "traffic". Our apartment is usually empty, and the apartment next to it has been empty since late summer. Four months ago we'd have seven or eight spaces open in the lot, four in front of our apartment and the one next door. Now? The lot is packed full after sundown, with strange cars in every space and every paved gap that might look like a space.
You know how hard it is to move furniture when you can't find a place to park near your own apartment? And when there's a nigh-constant stream of cars through the areas that aren't parked up? Very hard. And I know that none of the people taking the spaces in front of our place are actual rent-paying tenants of our complex.
Time to explore my feelings. What's that I'm feeling? Oh yes: burning homocidal rage. Every time I see the fucker's car.
Thank God we're almost done, else Transitional Man would be getting his litmus test.
The last you guys heard from me, I was headed into the field for a 5 day camping trip, Canadian Infantry style. I was soooo not looking forward to it. Definitely one of the few times when I'm glad that I'm wrong about something. For the most part it was pretty fun. Mind you, there were parts that sucked really bad, but my brain seems to be erasing those bits from my memory as we speak.
Monday, we loaded up the bus at around 06:30, and headed out to the Farnham Training Center. Once there, we got tobaggans, and loaded them up with our tents, stoves, lanterns, etc. After practicing setting up the tents a few times, we threw on our rucksacks (countaining about 20 kg of supplies for the week) and hiked in to our camp site, about 3km in, dragging the toboggans behind us.
The other three platoons doing the same course as us also hiked in, but they had their rucksacks driven in on the truck, and unloaded once they got there. Just one of the many examples of my platoon's Directing Staff working us harder than any of their Directing Staff does. This is quite fine by us, because we really are better for all the extra work.
After setting up, the rest of Monday was lessons, which are not pleasant outdoors. Either standing, or sitting on ice cold bleachers, at -10° C, as the wind cuts through your combat jacket, and all the sweat that you built up hiking in chills instantly. Not fun.
When we're back at base, for the most part, our nights are our own time. Not so much out in the field. The first priority is security. In our case, for training we were required to have at least 4 sentries on watch at all times. Otherwise the Sarge might sneak into the campsite and steal our rifles from us. Any time that we weren't in the campsite, we had to have a hand on it, or have it slung all the time. Let me tell you something, carrying that thing for a week is such a pain in the ass.
But anyways, sentry duty and the cold added up to very little sleep. Surprisingly, we only got woken up by our Directing Staff once in the middle of the night, for a fire drill. That was rather chilly, especially since one of the guys in my tent grabbed one of my boots instead of his, and I couldn't find his.
Tuesday was lessons in the morning, and combat training in the afternoon. Various formations to adopt when you come into contact with the enemy, practice throwing on your gas mask (which means if you wear glasses like myself, no seeing for you), and firing shots off at the Sarge (blanks of course).
At night, they gave us an exercise where we were given clues to our position, ie "You are in the NW Corner" or "You are 1 position right and 1 ahead of this guy" and we had to arrange ourselves accordingly. During this, the Directing Staff was joking around with us, singing silly little french songs, and basically distracting us. But they were having fun, and we were having fun, and we heard the whistle of incoming artillery fire, and hit the deck before the big boom.
Another simulated attack, running around in the dark with explosions going on all around us. Unfortunately some people lost some stuff in the confusion, so they decided to hold and impromptu inspection to ensure that we've got all our stuff on us, attached correctly, and in the right place. While getting ready for this, one of the guys left his rifle on the ground just long enough for the Sarge to snatch it, and unload the magazine on automatic. Man, was he pissed.
We got the whole "We can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way, and I guess you guys chose the hard way" speech, and then he took us for a walk. And by walk, I mean he walked, looking like he was putting in no effort, at a pace that most of the rest of us had to jog to keep up. After about 1km of that, we got sent to bed, dripping with sweat. Dear lord, was it ever cold that night.
That was the low point of the week, The next day was topography. Map, compass. You are here, go here. It was fun, tromping around in the woods, both for the afternoon, and at night from about 18:00 to 23:30. Much harder in the dark. I managed to have one of my magazines fall out of my rifle, and when we realized it, we weren't able to find it, even after trying to backtrack. I'm still not sure how much trouble I'm going to get into for that, but they don't seem too pissed off about it.
Thursday was awesome. We had a little competition against one of the other platoons. We had to navigate to a place, build a frame to lift a barrel, move to another place, build a rope bridge, move on, set up a tent, and then get back to the campsite.
Remember all that extra work we've been doing that I mentioned earlier? Yeah, it's paying off. We didn't just beat them, we trounced them. At the first task, we got there at about the same time. Our platoon was done in 10-15 minutes. They however, made 2 failed attempts to complete the task, before they eventually just copied our design. We had our rope bridge up before they showed up to start building it, and that's as far as they ended up getting. We finished on time, and they were 1 modular tent and about 4 km of hiking behind us.
Needless to say, we were pleased with our performance, our Directing Staff was pleased with our performance, and their Directing Staff was really freakin' pissed off. We were told to eat supper, clean our rifles, and then head to bed. Oh, and don't worry about a sentry, the other platoon will be covering that for you tonight. After they have about 4 hours of running around practicing doing the stuff they fucked up earlier in the day. Try not to let the explosions keep you awake. Man, that was a great day.
Anyways, Friday was a bunch of practice exercises, mostly going over proper procedure for planning tasks and giving orders. Definitely something we'll need to know once we get our commission and all. And then, we hiked back out and headed back to base.
All I can really say, is that first shower was one of the best EVER. It's quite good to be back to actual food now. While I do believe the claims that the Canadian Forces' ration packs are the best in the world, as they were rather tasty for food that is meant to keep indefinitely, they were definitely not good for the bowels and such. That's about as much detail as I'll go into about that.
It certainly wasn't all fun and games. For a lot of it, we were quite miserable, and on Wednesday, one of our guys injured his back after falling while carrying a rucksack. Due to missing too much time in the field, he'll have to be recoursed, which entails starting over again at week 1. That itself isn't too bad, but unfortunately, there isn't another Basic Officer Training course starting up again until May. Until then, he'll be stuck doing odd jobs around the base. Poor guy.
But yeah, I'd say the one thing killin' me the most here is the limited net access. I miss you guys, and thanks for all the support. Gotta run!
Palpz's Basic Training Adventure!
Farewell, Bronchitis, Inspections, Montreal, Tear Gas, and Guns, Camping, Canadian Infantry Style, Broken Teeth, A Brand New Tooth, A Fall From Grace, and Redemption
OK, learn from my mistakes.
5:00 PM, so commonly joked about as the time at which it is acceptable to start drinking.
Tempted as you may be, humans have deemed this time acceptable for a reason. Do not test the its 5 O'clock somewhere theory.
Today, in true college-style, I returned from class to curl up with my favorite videogame and a beer or five.
I was not without goal. Due to a scheduling issue, Xenosaga would need to be beaten by 10:00pm, when my girlfriend would pick me up to make a trip home to each of our parent's places. I did not want to be stewing over the convoluted story over the weekend, nor lose my train of thought on it.
So we have our scenario: 2:00 pm, pre-occupied with a game, and swilling beer. Sounds like a winning combination?
at 5:00pm my roommate got home. He prefers harder alcohol, and I had blown through nearly a six-pack without even knowing it. Without moving from my gaming throne, I had him mix me my preferred drink. This was a bad idea.
Beer before liquor, you've never been sicker! Liquor before beer, you're in the clear!
As I let some time pass to fully punctuate my descent into a true state of being shithoused, let me explain that these are not simply frat-sayings to help hard partiers live through the night. The sayings are rooted in scientific fact.
The simple explanation for this lies within exactly how hangovers work. Basically, your body has enzymes in your liver that are used to break down what you drink. The tannins in alcohol eat up these enzymes. Two things effectively happen:
Hours passed. The game was beaten. Our minds were blown. We were shithoused. It felt like 5:00 AM (the time at which our circle of friends is usually in wind-down mode.) By this time in actuality, it was only 8:00 PM.
Then the alcohol kicked in with its depressant effect. I became very relaxed. Its that feeling you get at five in the morning after a really hard night of partying.... only it was nine at night.
But at this point, I was drunk, so I knew how to fix it (So I could be alert to keep my girlfriend company on the ride home) NoDoze. The way I saw it, its like having one cup of coffee; people use a cup of coffee to sober up all the time.
Now, do the math. We left the house at 11pm to make the trip home, I was sufficiently drunk by 3pm. 8 hours had passed.
On a normal night of drinking, you (or me as the case may be) are sufficiently drunk by 3am, and by 11am, you feel like hell. Only, at times when you wake up like that you've had some rest (albiet not very good) in you, and you haven't thrown your stomache into a torment with NoDoze.
Result: I had a horrible, horrible hangover the entire ride home. I had a morning hangover at midnight, shakes and all.
The 5:00 pm standard is there not because its rude to begin drinking without someone but because it is smart to do so. When lethargy hits you at midnight, you are less likely to simply pop a NoDoze and push on.
I am in Niagara Falls. No one knows where I am. It is relaxing. There is a freedom to it.
I can't totally explain why I had to lie to almost everyone I know and tell them that I am on a business trip in Ottawa this weekend. Really, I just had to get away.
I went for drinks in the Toronto suburbs with the two girls from work yesterday. We talked for hours - one of them was having a confusing time with a guy giving her mixed signals. I mentioned some helpful pointers... for her to integrate other things in her life, like volunteer work at the hospital. It would help her focus less on the careless things he was doing.
After that we gossiped and ranked the people we work with according how much they irritate us (haha). I'm their team lead, and these two girls drive me crazy sometimes... but I really care for them and we all get along. One asked me how my weekend would be, and I lied:
"fine, but uneventful."
"I am on a business trip in Ottawa." I lied verbally and in writing so many times. I just didn't want anyone to join me or bother me. I can't totally explain why I had to escape this weekend, I just had to come here.
I got in to the hotel at about 11:00 pm. There were a bunch of police cars around. I got into the lobby. Two overweight but well-groomed men and two beautiful, flashy women were talking their way out of something to three police officers. I felt scared and tried to be invisible.
"It is not my problem," one with a nicely-shaped-mustache kept repeating. I was happy when the attendent told me that I was at the wrong hotel and gave me directions to the right one. I guess I didn't read the sign correctly. I heard the two beautiful women laughing at the company name on my laptop case as I left. Who cares. I drove to the correct hotel and there was nothing criminal. It was more normal with a bunch of happy gamblers ramping up for a weekend of entertainment.
This morning, I went running up and down the boardwalk beside the falls. "The World's Greatest Wonder". The mist made it so warm. I looked over at New York for a while. The falls were interrupted by pillows of snow and ice. There were smiling honeymooners, taking pictures by the icy trees. The mist had fallen then frozen on them, making an effect that was quite magical - like tree-ice-sculptures. I came back, grabbed a burger and ate it in my room. Now I am just lying in the clean sheets with no clothes on - my school books spread out nicely on the other bed. It's relaxing...
An Unusual Day in Niagara Falls Last Year
Almost exactly a year ago, I went driving, and I ended up here. On the way, I got called by my current employer, saying:
"Congratulations! you have the job, you start in a week!" I kept driving, parked on the side of a road, looked at the falls crashing down and cried my eyes out as I wondered about the future. Suddenly, my brother from out East called out of the blue.
"Surprise, I'm here at the Toronto airport on a stopover! Can you pick me up?" Right away, I wiped my tears and drove back home. We then had some beers together. His wife told me she was pregnant - I was the first of our family to know. What an honor.
A year later, I am here in Niagara Falls again. Anonymous. Polite. Free. Life is so much better now - I'm not crying. I can't wait for the future - it is so bright... but no one is calling me home.
I typed up what I have of an essay, even wrote a couple more sentences. Whenever I am revived from my trance I start writing something but it's always something like this.
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Day Aprons
Day Aprons are an Idakoos specialtiy! Idakoos has many things to offer. Whether you want to get a Day Apron for a special occasion, give a Day Canvas Apron as a present or need to represent with a funny Day Apron during Holidays or Family and Friends get-togethers, Idakoos is sure to have the right Day Apron for you! Even if it turns out you can't find the right Day Canvas Apron with the perfect design for your mother, father or children (or friends!); Idakoos offers all of its Day Aprons as Custom Day Aprons. Personalize any Day Apron the way you want to ensure the perfect gift.


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Car Town Streets Episode 5 Tips and Strategies
Car Town Streets
By: Cie Games
Genre: Simulation
Video Tips
This video walkthrough demonstrates how to beat Episode 5 without any power ups. Uploaded on Joseph Rennie official channel at September 19, 2013.
Still need help to finish Car Town Streets episode 5?
I will update this post with more tips and tricks, so please bookmark this page and keep on checking in!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask for extra help in the comments section.
Hit like if this helped you!
Visit Car Town Streets walkthrough page for level videos, tutorials, cheats and more.
Episode 5 Questions
Questions related to episode 5 for Car Town Streets.