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You are never to old to get healthy and fit. Ernestine Shepherd is such an inspiration to us all. See her story here.
Ernestine "Ernie" Shepherd, at age 79, is a personal trainer, a professional model, a competitive bodybuilder and happier and more fulfilled than she's ever been in her life. In March of 2010, on stage in Rome, Italy she was formally given the title of World's Oldest Performing Female BodyBuilder (by Guinness World Records). How did Ernestine transform herself from an average middle-aged woman to bodybuilding diva?
In her youth Ernestine is said to have been a "prissy" girl with little interest in athletics or exercise of any kind. As a 56-year-old she was a sedentary, well-padded school secretary and "slug" who had never worked out a day in her life. The obvious question is: What happened to transform Ernestine into a role model for the rest of us, and senior women in particular?
What happened was that the 56-year-old version of Ernestine went bathing suit shopping with her sister, Velvet. While trying on the suits, they found themselves laughing at each other. Then and there they knew it was time to get in better shape. Ernestine and her sister joined a gym and started working out together. A short time later, Velvet died suddenly from a brain aneurysm. Devastated, Ernestine stopped going to the gym. After some months of mourning the loss of her sister and on the advice of a friend that her sister would have wanted her to continue what they had started, Ernestine returned to the gym with a reignited determination to get fit.
Starting slowly and building her body step by little step, Ernestine over time completely transformed not only her body, but her life, too. She has never been happier. She trains mostly senior women five days a week and "live(s) to inspire senior women to reach their physical potential."
Personally, she likes to compete in 5K and 10K races and run marathons. She's up at 4 A.M. to get in her 10-mile runs and puts in upwards to 80 miles a week when training for an upcoming marathon. Ernestine also strength trains four or more days a week. In 2007 (at age 71) she asked Yohnnie Shambourger (former Mr. Universe) to train her to compete as a bodybuilder. Seven months later she entered her first bodybuilding competition. In this first contest she took first place in her class at the Natural East Coast Tournament of Champions bodybuilding competition – out posing women decades younger.
Despite all the exercise, Ernestine says that she has no aches or pains whatsoever and has never been injured — not at all — in the 17 years of her new improved life. This 5-foot 5-inch, 130-pound dynamo sports 9 to 10% body fat; these single-digit percentages are usually reserved for elite-professional male athletes in their prime! She takes no medications. She loves her new life's work, enjoys more energy than those decades younger and has never been more successful. What's her secret? Let's look at some of what allows Ernestine to defy "normal" aging:
Began slowly under the guidance of an expert personal trainer and gradually conditioned her body
Ernestine, realizing early on the importance of good nutrition (including sufficient protein and supplements) sought out the services of a nutritionist
Has the full support of her husband of 52 years, Collin, who prepares meals and makes sure the fridge is always stocked with her seven convenient small balanced daily meals
Makes sure she gets the rest her body needs
Tries to have a positive attitude about everything, views her workouts as fun and sees her work as being on a "long happy journey"
Knows where she wants to go and what she wants to accomplish and do
Believes in encouragement, inspiration and family support and lives by her mantra " Determined — Dedicated — Disciplined To Be Fit"
Ernestine Shepherd is having the time of her life at an age when many folks only see themselves as declining and getting old. She's in the best shape of her life by far, more successful than she's ever been and a supreme role model to senior women every where and to the rest of us, too. She has a lot to teach us about thriving at any age — if we are but ready and open to learn.


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My first foray into grilled pizzas had it's ups and downs. After watching Micheal Chiarello easily slide his perfect pizza doughs on and off the grill grates, I thought 'I can do that, it doesn't look that hard'. Maybe someday I will learn that Mr. Chiarello tends to get me into trouble in the kitchen. (see the great gnocchi battle of 2008) Okay it wasn't all bad, and I think the next go around will be perfection, I just need to work out a few kinks.
The first dough to go onto the grill bubbled like crazy, and then once it was turned over the bubbles were so big, well, lets say they 'charred' (that's the grill-masters' way of saying it burned, without actually admitting fault). Everything seems to turn out better on the second try. They say you should always throw away your first crepe, your first pancake, but I didn't think I could spare an entire pizza dough the same way. So, I kept the 'charred' dough and went ahead. The second crust was beautiful, which is why I only took pictures of that one. Editing is GREAT.
Toppings are endless, and the method I used for making these allowed me to prepare all the topping ahead of time, and then just rewarm on the grill. One of the topping combinations was amazing, one of them not so much, but here is what I learned about making pizzas on the grill:
1. Do not use too high of heat, you will get crazy bubbles and burned edges. (if you are using charcoal I would recommend spreading one single layer of coals all over the bottom grate, and set your dampers so that you are over a medium heat)
2. Do not oil your dough too much, the heat will smoke the oil, turning your dough gray. This is NOT pretty. It won't ruin your pizza, but it will not enhance the flavor either.
3. Do not use a cheese that only tastes good when it is brown and bubbly. If you want brown and bubbly cheese, you may want to invest in a pizza stone so you can get your grill heat VERY high and not burn your dough (or finish it under your broiler). Hard cheeses and fresh mozzarella are good choices. Fontina....not so much (it kind of looked like snot, but more on that later).
4. Do grill toppings separately, this just adds to the deliciousness of the pizza.
5. Do not overload your pizzas with toppings, they will get very hard to maneuver, as the crust can be very fragile.
6. Use toppings that just need to be warmed briefly, in other words cook all your raw toppings ahead of time.
7. Use a sturdy dough recipe, one that calls for high gluten bread flour, or a similar additive.
8. Have fun with your flavor combinations, and don't be afraid to mess it up...maybe make some extra dough just in case though.
Pizza Dough
From Smitten Kitchen
My notes in green
Smitten kitchen is one of my favorite food blogs, and I often turn to it to get great recipes, especially for the basics (bread dough, pasta, pizza etc.). If you haven't checked her out yet, do it, she has awesome recipes and great photography. This dough worked really well, as it wasn't too delicate to throw around on the grill.
1 1/2 cups flour - I used my typical All-Purpose with added Vital Wheat Gluten combination
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix all dry ingredients, including the yeast, in a large mixing bowl. You can also start this in the food processor with the dough blade if you wish. Add the water and olive oil and mix until it starts to form a ball. Turn the shaggy mess out onto a floured surface, and knead until everything combines into a nice clean ball, just a minute or two.
Lightly oil the mixing bowl -a cooking spray such as Pam works well for this- and place the dough in, turning it around a few times so all sides of the dough are oiled as well. Cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for and hour or two, or until it has doubled in size.
Dump it out onto a well floured surface and gently press the air out of the dough. Fold the piece into a basic ball shape and let it sit under plastic wrap for another 20 minutes.
At this point, the dough is ready to be rolled out and grilled up. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.
Goat Cheese, Zucchini, and Prosciutto Pizza
1-2 medium zucchini or summer squash, sliced very thinly on a mandolin
1 package of prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1 4 oz. package of goat cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pepita Pesto, Mushroom, and Fontina Pizza
About 3/4 cup peptia pesto (you can use any pesto, homemade or jarred)
1 package button mushrooms, sliced thinly
3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
While the dough was on its final 20-minute rise, I fired up the my trusty Weber. I tossed the zucchini and squash with some olive oil and salt and pepper, and grilled over high heat until just cooked through. This only takes a few minutes if the slices are very thin.
I also sauteed the prosciutto and the mushrooms separately until crisped and cooked through.
Mix the lemon juice, thyme, and goat cheese in a small bowl and set aside.
Lightly oil the pizza dough on one side, and moving gently and quickly, place the dough oiled-side down on the hot grates, and immediately oil the top side. It will probably start to bubble up and as soon as it starts to set, you can move it around a bit so that it doesn't burn in any spot.
Flip the dough over once the first side is nice and brown. This should only take 3-4 minutes on each side until the dough is fully cooked. (I obviously made 2 doughs, so I repeated this process)
I brought the doughs inside to where all my ingredients were ready and waiting to be assembled.
On the first pizza, I spread the goat cheese mixture thinly all over the crust, laid on the grilled zucchini strips and the prosciutto, and sprinkled the top with Parmesan cheese.
Onto the second pizza went the pesto, then the mushrooms, the fontina, and lastly the Parmesan.
Each of these pizzas went back onto the covered grill over low heat until all the ingredients were heated up and the cheese was melted, about 10 minutes.
The goat cheese pizza was divine. It was salty, fresh, and creamy. I would make it again as-is in a heartbeat. The pesto/mushroom pizza I would make again, but with many changes. I would add another component, something a bit sweet to offset the bitter pesto. I would also finish it under the broiler to get the cheese all brown and bubbly, instead of greasy and gooey like it turned out.
There were many lessons learned about pizzas making, and now that it is turning into autumn, I am looking forward to testing out my new skills with the coming fall produce.
Happy first day of Fall, may your week be filled with changing leaves, pumpkins, and cinnamon-flavored everything.

subset: commoncrawl


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Since David first mentioned the idea of a central, BDRA bibliography, we've agreed to try using RefWorks as a shared repository for all our references.
There has also been mention of Diigo and Delicious as possible mechanisms for a more informal sharing of links.
Something to consider in relation to these ideas: Jo Badge recently wrote about the use of CiteULike in conjunction with RefWorks. I'm not quite sure how these two systems work together yet, but it might be worth experimenting…
By Gabi Witthaus


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"Better Call Saul" is coming back for more.
AMC announced that the "Breaking Bad" spinoff prequel has been renewed for a third season, which means you have 10 new episodes to look forward to about the genesis of young lawyer Jimmy McGill's transformation into the Saul Goodman we fell in love with on the original hit series starring Bryan Cranston.
"What Vince [Gilligan], Peter [Gould], Bob [Odenkirk] and the entire team have accomplished with 'Better Call Saul' is truly rare and remarkable. They have taken one of the most iconic, immersive and fan-obsessive (in the best possible way) shows in television history and created a prequel that stands on its own," AMC president Charlie Collier said in a statement announcing the news.
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Find out the fates of the rest of your favorite shows in our gallery of this season's renewed and canceled shows


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Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Rustic Rosemary-Parmesan Crackers
The second book, Gifts Cooks Love, offers just what the title suggests. It presents homemade goodies that make great gifts and ideas for packaging them as well. There are preserved gifts like aleppo pepper-peach chutney, apricot-bourbon mustard, and cotes du rhone-rhubarb compote. The smoked and cured options include homemade bacon, salmon gravlax, and a smoky ketchup. Of course there are baked goods like double fudge brownie pops, panforte, and a very cool-looking biscotti Christmas tree. For the tree, the biscotti are cut to different lengths and then stacked bottom to top, from large to small, to form a three-dimensional tree shape. It looks so great in the photo in the book, I have to try it. You'll also find confections, homemade liqueurs, spice blends, and gift kit ideas. I jumped in and tested the homemade rosemary-parmesan crackers, and these are mentioned in one of the kit suggestions that would also include green tomato chutney, aleppo pepper-peach chutney, panforte, and chipotle chile candied pecans.
The crackers were made in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, and flour, chopped fresh rosemary, salt, and sugar were combined. Water was poured over that mixture, and it was kneaded with the mixer. The dough was set aside, wrapped in plastic, to allow the gluten to relax. Then, working with half the dough at a time, it was rolled out and cut into long, thin crackers. They were placed on olive oil-coated baking sheets, the tops were brushed with more olive oil, and they were sprinkled with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. They came out of the oven golden and puffed in spots. They bake pretty quickly, in just about ten minutes, but you do need to watch them and remove the crackers on the ends of the baking sheet that brown before the ones in the center. These were crunchy, addictive snacks, and they'd make a gift I'd be happy to give and even happier to receive.
Posted by lisa is cooking at Wednesday, November 03, 2010
33 comments:
- AnonymousNovember 3, 2010 at 9:36 AM
Those look delicious!ReplyDelete
I love a good cracker and these look to fit the bill. I'm already thinking about dips and spreads to pair them with.ReplyDelete
Great crackers! I bet they are very addictive.ReplyDelete
Yummy! Like them as a snack.ReplyDelete
Homemade crackers are just the sort of thing that makes a get together special. These are perfect for the upcoming holidays (which I agree are WAY too close!) Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Homemade crackers beat store bought ones any day of the week. Great hostess gift as well!!!ReplyDelete
I love making my own crackers too, but it takes so many batches to bake this in the oven. That's why I always discourage to do it. I really admire your patient here Lisa. They look as good as it sounds.ReplyDelete
These look wonderful. I love homemade crackers. I will have to add these to my repertoire.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous! I want some with hummus or a cheese plate, please.ReplyDelete
I love both the books you mention, and I love the crackers. Beautiful!ReplyDelete
Perfect cocktail nibbles for the holidays to come. Of course, I'll have to make a double batch, as I'll devour the first all by myself.ReplyDelete
Such a perfect crackers for a family bonding...ReplyDelete
These look absolutely fabulous, I love how they look so crisp. Was it hard to roll them so thin?ReplyDelete
Steven: The dough was springy even though it had rested before being rolled. But, it wasn't a sticky dough. So, rolling took a little patience, but it wasn't bad.ReplyDelete
I love Sur La Table cookbooks...they're so realistic and doable.ReplyDelete
These crackers look to be the perfect accompaniment to a great cheese plate. I think they'll upstage any of the cheeses on it.
Snack time!!! Crispy goodness. Yum! I may have to pick up a copy of that cookbook. Sur La Table is one of my fav places to shop.I'm like a kid in a candy store whenever I'm there. hahaha...ReplyDelete
They look perfectly crisp and with rosemary plus parmesan, bet they are super tasty!ReplyDelete
Simple and delicious! Great snack!ReplyDelete
They look great Lisa! I was at a shop and they sold similar ones but they didn't look quite as nice as these! :)ReplyDelete
these crackers look great!ReplyDelete
Your crackers look just wonderful!ReplyDelete
Looks absolutely delicious and yummy!ReplyDelete
I love crackers like these and I can hardly wait to make my own thanks to you.ReplyDelete
Those cookbooks sound great and these crackers are definitely a gift that THIS cook would love. I'm pretty sure that I would eat them and then obsess about exactly what was in them so I could try to recreate them as soon as possible!ReplyDelete
YUM! flaky goodness.ReplyDelete
I'm always impressed when people make crackers - these look like a huge crowd pleaser and super tasty!ReplyDelete
They sure do look absolutely delicious!ReplyDelete
Oooh, hooray, homemade crackers! I have said before that I'm loving the progression of your bread experiments -- crackers are the next frontier, eh? I've made something similar before and they were wonderful -- I made several batches and inserted various herbs. I actually just got a copy of Gifts Cooks Love - it's a great little book, and I will use it a lot this holiday season.ReplyDelete
Love a crisp homemade cracker too. These look delicious.ReplyDelete
One flavorful cracker! I would love anything with rosemary in it.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 9, 2010 at 1:58 PM
Yum! These look delectably thin and crispy. Great job with the photos!ReplyDelete
Lisa, this is not a good post for a cookbook addict to read. I always make handmade gifts for teachers, bus drivers, etc and my repetoire is getting a little tired. Looks like I know what book to buy to help.ReplyDelete
Yum! These are great. I've been experimenting a lot with crackers lately and had to try these - even without an official recipe. Some techniques that set these apart: 1. Using a little sugar (I just used a tsp per 1 1/2 c flour) 2. Brushing the sheet and tops with olive oil instead of adding it to the dough) 3. Baking in strips instead of scored sheets. I think all three of these subtle tips really help to add crispness and flavor. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete


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PASADENA, Calif., July 22 (UPI) -- Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology say they have discovered the largest and farthest reservoir of water ever detected in the universe.
The researchers have found a mass of water vapor that's at least 140 trillion times that of all the water in all the Earth's oceans in a quasar -- one of the brightest and most violent objects in the cosmos -- 30 billion trillion miles away, a Caltech release said Friday.
"The environment around this quasar is unique in that it's producing this huge mass of water," says Matt Bradford, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a visiting associate at Caltech. "It's another demonstration that water is pervasive throughout the universe, even at the very earliest times."
Because light from the distant quasar has taken 12 billion years to reach Earth, the observations reveal a time when the universe was just 1.6 billion years old.
A quasar is powered by an enormous black hole steadily consuming a surrounding disk of gas and dust and spewing out huge amounts of energy.
In this particular quasar, the water vapor is distributed around the black hole in a gaseous region spanning hundreds of light-years, astronomers said.
Measurements of the water vapor and of other molecules, such as carbon monoxide, suggest there is enough gas to feed the black hole until it grows to about six times its current size.


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December 11, 2012
Do Your Customers Like E-mail Marketing?
When it comes to online marketing, most companies today use a variety of channels to reach customers (websites, social posts, mobile web, e-marketing, etc.). But do you know which channel your customers want you to use to reach them?
In an article by Jeff Rohrs about the 30th anniversary of e-mail, he writes, "an overwhelming 77 percent of all consumers surveyed prefer to receive promotional messages from companies via email compared to five percent who prefer text messages and four percent who prefer Facebook." Wow, 77 percent of consumers prefer e-mail marketing.
So how is your e-mail marketing program working for your small business? Even though things like social networking and mobile technology get a lot of attention today, a solid e-mail campaign not only reaches users in a way they like, but e-mail marketing is also highly targetable, track-able, and measurable.
Here are some tips to create e-mail campaigns that your customers will respond to:
• Write a great subject line – People are bombarded with spam and junk e-mail in their inboxes every day, and you don't want your e-mail message to get lost in the crowd. Use a subject line that tells recipients what they have to gain by reading your message, such as "Save 10 percent on Holiday Decor" or "Five Days Left to Use Promo Code."
• Keep it short and sweet – Recipients don't have time or patience to read through tons of text in your message, so stick to the most important points and leave the details to your landing page. Formatting and layout are important in e-mail campaigns, so remember to use images to break up blocks of text and include headers, colors, logos, etc. to make the piece visually interesting and appealing.
• Include clear calls-to-action. Users need to know exactly what you want them to do, such as download a file, click a link, subscribe to a mailing list, etc. A strong call-to-action (CTA) can help significantly boost response rates and improve conversions in e-mail campaigns.
• Don't forget the links – Of course you want to include links on your calls-to-action – for example "click to learn more" – but don't forget to add links to images, product names, your company name, headers, etc. Giving users multiple paths to the landing page can help increase the chances that they will take the action you want them to take.
Targeting, Tracking and Measuring
Targeting your messages is easy with e-mail marketing because you are sending directly to people who have already opted-in or given you permission to contact them. You can even segment your lists into specific groups based on interests, gender, time of year, or any other criteria that may be useful to your business. However, you cannot segment your list effectively if you are not keeping accurate stats and tracking your results. Most list services (like Vertical Response or Constant Contact) provide very detailed data on who opened your message, what links they clicked on, if they forwarded it to another person, etc., so it's easy to track and measure the results of each campaign.
Do Not Disturb
E-mail marketing is less intrusive than other types of media such as TV, radio commercials, instant messaging, or the dreaded telemarketing call at dinnertime. With e-mail, recipients see your message when they check their e-mail, but they have the choice to read it right away or read it later. If you have done a good job of providing valuable content, they will happily open your e-mail messages every time your campaigns land in their inboxes. If you send too often or send only self-serving promotions, however, recipients may delete your message without reading it or, possibly, unsubscribe or block you altogether. So be smart about the types of messages you send and how often you send them.
Easy, Affordable, and Effective
The bottom line is e-mail marketing works, and is an easy, affordable way to market to your customers and reach them with valuable content and special offers they may be interested in. Last year, the Direct Marketing Association reported e-mail marketing averages a return on investment (ROI) of $43.62 for every dollar you spend. Isn't that a convincing reason to use it in the first place?
By using e-mail marketing, you can reach your customers in a way they like, while making your business more visible to them at the same time. E-mail campaigns also help remind recipients about your company and the awesome products and services you offer, and can trigger a flurry of renewed interest every time you send. Given that 77 percent of consumers prefer e-mail marketing to other types of digital media, be sure you include e-mail campaigns as part of your marketing mix.
Lauren Hobson is President & CMO of Five Sparrows, LLC. Five Sparrows provides professional website and marketing services to small businesses and non-profits.


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4th Of July Sale | We Pay The Sales Tax!
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Tiny Lions Yoga 11/21
Join us at Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center as we practice yoga with our furry feline yoga masters. Our hatha style classes will help bring peace to your mind and body, while filling your heart with joy as you help to support the homeless animals in our community.
When: Thursday evening, 7:30-8:30pm - doors open at 7:10pm.
Fees: $10 per class, pre-registration and advance payment required (10th class is FREE!)
Ages: 12 and over (youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult age 21 or over)
Additional Details:
For additional information, please contact our Humane Education Department at 734-661-3575 or firstname.lastname@example.com. See more dates for Yoga with Cats at http://www.tinylions.org/yoga


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Sometimes justice can be so elusive, can't it? Bad enough that often it is overdue. But then, when it finally seems within our reach, it sometimes slips away…or we're only able to grab hold of a little piece of it… That's how I opened this post when I first wrote it for my old blog years ago. I posted it during Black History Month and, as Black History Month is almost upon us, thought I'd re-post it here. I like to begin with something like this to remind myself that Black History Month, in 2010, should be as much about justice as it is about remembering and celebration.
(I am currently searching for updates to this story and will update this blog with any new information.)
These days eyes tend to be directed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the future of the battle over abortion choice and access. In this social context, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that historically, for many women the central reproductive struggle has not involved abortion rights. Instead it has involved the right to conceive, bear, and provide for their children, as well as the right to maintain the authority to be parents of their children. From the buying and selling of the children of African-ancestry parents, to the forced placement into "boarding schools" of the children of Native American parents, to current day social service practices regarding the termination of parental rights that disproportionately affect parents of color—This country has a pretty shameful history when it comes to disallowing some people their rights to become and remain parents.
A particularly egregious example of this is the history of forced sterilizations in this country in the name of "genetic fitness"–otherwise known as eugenics.
The targets of these forced sterilizations were folks who evidenced various combinations of being Black, poor, uneducated, deemed to be "promiscuous" or potentially promiscuous, deemed to be "feeble-minded" or potentially so. These practices of sterilizing women and girls (and some men and boys) against their will and often without their knowledge sometimes went by the name "Mississippi appendectomies." A particularly aggressive program, however, occurred in North Carolina. From an excellent multi-part program on the North Carolina efforts, "Against Their Will":
They were wives and daughters. Sisters. Unwed mothers. Children. Even a 10-year-old boy. Some were blind or mentally retarded. Toward the end they were mostly black and poor. North Carolina sterilized them all, more than 7,600 people.
For more than 40 years North Carolina ran one of the nation's largest and most aggressive sterilization programs. It expanded after World War II, even as most other states pulled back in light of the horrors of Hitler's Germany.
Some of these folks are still alive, still seeking justice–which means, of course, that they have had to come forward and publicly share their stories:
In the file of Ernestine Moore, for instance, who was sterilized in 1965 in Pitt County at the age of 14, a social worker wrote that the people who lived near her were "of low incomes and low morals." Moore was classified as feebleminded, even though she wasn't.
In fact, the social worker wrote, "Ernestine has no appearance of retardation." Upon reading what was written in her file, Ms. Moore, 54, told The Journal that North Carolina should "pay for the pain" and suffering she's gone through since her sterilization.
In recent years, the state of North Carolina has agreed. But, as fate would have it, carrying out this justice has not gone smoothly. Issues abound, regarding such things as where to get medical records to prove forced sterilization, whether or not such records are still available or had ever been kept at all, and adequately staffing efforts to process claims.
All signs look like justice will be delayed. Again. And my cynical side is whispering that there's a good chance justice may not come at all for these folks. Once again, they may have to make do with an official apology. For whatever (if anything) that is worth.
But. The hopeful side of me still has…hope. In the meantime, I will enjoy our State Fair this year much as I have every year since I began learning more about this country's eugenics past: With the ghostly narration in my mind of contests aimed at promoting good human stock along with the best ears of corn or plumpest sows.
From the excellent site Image Archive on the American Eugenics Movement:
At most contests, competitors submitted an "Abridged Record of Family Traits," and a team of medical doctors performed psychological and physical exams on family members. Each family member was given an overall letter grade of eugenic health, and the family with the highest grade average was awarded a silver trophy. Trophies were typically awarded in three family categories: small (1 child), medium (2-4 children), and large (5 or more children).
All contestants with a B+ or better received bronze medals bearing the inscription, "Yea, I have a goodly heritage." Childless couples were eligible for prizes in contests held in some states. As expected, the Fitter Families Contest mirrored the eugenics movement itself; winners were invariably White with western and northern European heritage.
I've mentioned before about how important it is for me to keep such history in my mind as I continue with my interests in researching issues of families and genetics. Late summer, right before the start of another school year is as good a time as any to give myself a booster shot of memory. Memory for the "non-placers" in the clean genes fairground competitions. Memory for the folks who were denied the chance to bear children to take to fairs in the first place.


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Crews have returned the iconic painting "Fall of the Alamo" to Texas Governor's Mansion as a $25 million restoration of the historic mansion nears completion.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry says crews returned the 1903 painting by Robert Jenkins Onderdonk to the mansion, which first became home to the Texas governor in 1858.
The painting depicts Davy Crockett and other Alamo defenders engaged in hand-to-hand combat at dawn of March 6, 1836, the day the Alamo fell to Mexican forces under the command of Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna Perez de Lebron.
The latest news from around North Texas.
The painting was donated anonymously to the Friends of the Governor's Mansion in 1981 and moved from the mansion to the Governor's Office in October 2007 to make way for the renovation project.


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A diary with vertigo
Previous Posts
- Weekend Ouroboros: Mary-Kim Arnold Edition
- I had a great time reading last night at the Firs...
- Weekend Facial Hair
- Mr. Helm gave his drums a muffled, bottom-heavy so...
- I'll be reading on Monday, April 23 at 7 p.m. for ...
- A system of elastic bands
- Book without a reader
- Weekend Almost-boros
- Fame
- Annnnd....that second reading....
- Time to order my novel PERSONAL DAYS!
- UK paperback edition (Vintage) available!
- READ HARD: Five Years of Great Writing From The Believer, ed. Julavits & Park
- ASTRAL WEEKS (my SF column for the L.A. Times, 2007–2011)
- My pointless Tumblr
- The Believer
- 50 Watts
- The Abbott Gran Medicine Show
- Bookforum
- The Chiseler
- CORMAC and OPRAH livebloggery
- Curiosities (Mag of F&SF)
- Every Person in New York
- "Good Jobbbbbbbb"
- Grognardia (great RPG blog)
- The Harry Stephen Keeler Society
- HEY DULLBLOG—a communally run Beatles site
- Hua Hsu at The Atlantic
- I've Been Reading Lately
- Jing Wei
- Lacunae
- Lev Grossman's blog
- Light Reading
- Moving Image Source
- Night RPM
- PERSONAL DAYS: The Intermittent Blog
- Mr. Saturnhead
- The OUROBOROS at The Dizzies
- The New-York Ghost (SUBSCRIBE! Next issue: 2011)
- Paper Cuts (NYT)
- Paul Collins: The Literary Detective
- Pinakothek
- Parkus Grammaticus: A semi-useful EP bibliography
- Heidi Julavits's Quonset Hut
- Rachel Aviv
- Restricted View
- Shadowplay
- I Was Told There'd Be SLOANE CROSLEY
- Ta-Nehisi Coates (now at The Atlantic)
- Termite Art
- "TITLE BOUTS" (Relive the action of The Dizzies' "Spinal Narrative" competition!)
- Triple Canopy
- THE UNARCHIVABLE (assorted E.P. pieces & links to old blogs)
- We Pitched a Tent at Night
- William Poundstone
- The World's Least Popular Book Club (dedicated to the slow reading of Marguerite Young's MISS MACINTOSH, MY DARLING
Ought Enterprises
Saturday, May 05, 2012
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Oculus uses "Asynchronous Timewarp" (ATW) and the recently announced "Asynchronous Spacewarp" (ASW) in order to improve VR rendering performance. So confident in its rendering techniques that Oculus released the following minimum PC spec guidelines:
Video Card: NVIDIA: GTX 1050 Ti / GTX 960 or greater | AMD: RX 470 / R9 390 / R9 290 or greater
CPU: Intel i3-6100 / AMD FX 4350 or greater
Memory: 8GB RAM
Video Output: free HDMI 1.3 output
USB Ports: 1x USB 3.0 port plus 2x USB 2.0 ports
OS: Windows 10 64 bit
Premade PCs that meet the above guidelines can be bought for a mere $500 USD.
Valve has released a similar solution for the Vive. With continual improvements to VR hardware and VR rendering techniques, such as foveated rendering which is currently under development, it's likely we'll see mainstream adoption of VR sooner rather than later.


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National Institute of Allergy andInfectious Diseases (NIAID)http://www.niaid.nih.gov
A recently described genetic mutation does not fully explain why a small proportion of people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain completely well for a decade or more, according to investigators at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Instead, the researchers say, the good health of such "long-term nonprogressors" probably is due to multiple factors, which may vary from individual to individual.
Oren Cohen, M.D., a medical officer in NIAID's Laboratory of Immunoregulation (LIR); LIR Lab Chief and NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.; and their colleagues report their findings in the Sept. 15, 1997 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation. The study involved 33 patients from LIR's cohort of long-term nonprogressors, the NIAID-supported Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, and the San Francisco City Clinic Cohort.
"This study fortifies the concept that HIV long-term nonprogressors represent a diverse group," says Dr. Fauci. "Multiple immune system factors, genetic and other host factors, and viral factors contribute to the clinical profiles of these patients, who usually have preserved immune function and low levels of HIV in their bodies."
Recent research has shown that most infecting strains of HIV use a cellular receptor called CCR5, in addition to the CD4 molecule, to enter certain of its target cells. HIV-infected people with a specific mutation in one of their two copies of the gene for this receptor generally have a slower disease course than people with two normal copies of the gene. People with two mutant copies of the CCR5 gene appear -- in most cases -- to be completely protected from HIV infection.
Several epidemiological studies have shown that individuals with one mutant copy of the CCR5 gene are disproportionately represented among long-term nonprogressors. The LIR defines long-term nonprogressors as people who have been HIV-infected for more than seven years, have stable CD4+ T cell counts above 600 per cubic millimeter (mm3) of blood, have no history of HIV-related symptoms, and who have not taken antiretroviral drugs.
Drs. Cohen, Fauci and their team began recruiting long-term nonprogressors five years ago to determine the specific factors that protect these people from HIV disease progression. Soon after the discovery of the role of CCR5 in HIV disease and the association of the mutant CCR5 gene with slower disease progression, the LIR team found that people with one copy of the mutant gene (and one copy of the normal gene) were over-represented in their cohort of long-term nonprogressors.
With that information in hand, they asked the question, do long-term nonprogressors with one copy of the mutant CCR5 gene have less virus in their bodies and higher CD4+ T cell counts compared with long-term nonprogressors with two normal copies of the CCR5 gene -- a situation that would help explain the association of the CCR5 mutation and long-term nonprogression?
The answer, Dr. Cohen says, "was a resounding no." The investigators found that nonprogressors with one copy of the mutant CCR5 gene were indistinguishable from nonprogressors with two normal copies of the gene with regard to all immunologic and virologic parameters they measured, including CD4+ T cell counts and viral load in the bloodstream and lymph nodes.
"Although an HIV-infected individual who carries one copy of the mutant CCR5 gene has an increased chance of becoming a long-term nonprogressor, other factors in the complex interaction between HIV and the body allow individuals with normal copies of the gene to maintain similar immunologic status."
What explains the epidemiological data that show many people with the CCR5 gene mutation in cohorts of long-term nonprogressors?
"Around the time of initial infection with HIV, people with the specific mutation in the CCR5 gene have lower levels of virus in their blood and a smaller initial decline in CD4+ T cells, as compared to other patients," says Dr. Cohen. (See Huang, et al. Nature Medicine 1996;2:1240-1243). "This lower 'set point' probably has an important influence on the subsequent rate of disease progression."
The LIR continues its studies of long-term nonprogressors, and will report important new data from their cohort at the upcoming Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy later this month.
"Studies of long-term nonprogressors have contributed greatly to our understanding of the HIV disease process, and provide perhaps the best evidence that protective immunity may exist in HIV infection," says Dr. Fauci. "We owe an enormous debt to the many patients who have come to Bethesda to take part in our studies. The contribution that these individuals have made to science and the fight against AIDS is immeasurable."
Dr. Cohen's and Fauci's collaborators include Mauro Vaccarezza, M.D., Gordon K. Lam, Barbara F. Baird, Kathryn Wildt, Philip M. Murphy, M.D., Ph.D., Peter A. Zimmerman, Ph.D., Thomas B. Nutman, M.D., Cecil H. Fox, Ph.D., Shelley Hoover, Joseph Adelsberger, Michael Baseler, Ph.D., James Arthos, Ph.D., Richard T. Davey, Jr., M.D., Robin L. Dewar, Ph.D., Julia Metcalf, Douglas J. Schwarzentruber, Ph.D., Jan M. Orenstein, M.D., Ph.D., Susan Buchbinder, M.D., Alfred J. Saah, M.D., Roger Detels, M.D., John Phair, M.D., Charles Rinaldo, Ph.D., Joseph B. Margolick, M.D., Ph.D., and Giuseppe Pantaleo, M.D.
Reference: Cohen OJ, et al. Heterozygosity for a defective gene for CC chemokine receptor 5 is not the sole determinant for the immunologic and virologic phenotype of HIV-infected long term non-progressors. Journal of Clinical Investigation 1997;100(7):1581-1589.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAID conducts and supports research to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as HIV disease and other sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as asthma and allergies. NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Press releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the Internet via the NIAID home page at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services


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Concepts often earn the title of "traditional" because they do their job effectively over the centuries. Take the role of charcoal in Sususu, an eco-friendly and attractive house plant that that doubles as a deodorizer. The soil contains tiny particles of odor-eating bamboo charcoal. Fungal bacteria in the charcoal absorbs unpleasant odors in the home rather than masking them with cloying scents.
The soil for Sususu comes in either rectangular or square block shapes and there are three varieties of plant to choose from (two varieties of Sansuberia and one of Pachira). We reckon it's a nice decorative alternative to using a big aerosol can filled with perfume. However its price tag of ¥2,480 puts it shelf above those oridinary deodorizers.
Sususu is not the only product on the market that utilizes the traditional odor-eating charcoal. Take Dr. Smith's bamboo charcoal pillows, which were recently featured at Loft department store in Shibuya. They tout not only deodorizing properties, but also the ability to reduce the humidity in the room by absorbing moisture to create "the perfect sleep environment."
If you don't fancy sticking your head on a pile of burnt wood or having the hassle of looking after a plant, then it's possible to simply buy bamboo charcoal on its own. Taketora sells the stuff on its web shop. Placed around the home in wicker baskets, this blackened bamboo looks surprisingly attractive and works both to reduce humidity and bad smells. Wish we'd known about this product a month ago when Tokyo was both stinky and unpleasantly sweaty!


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School Office: 225-293-1298 Fax: 225-293-4886
Pre-K Office: 225-293-9822 Pre-K Fax: 225-293-7432
Absence Reporting: email@example.com
©Copyright 2020, St. George School. All rights reserved.
St. George does not discriminate against students applying because of race, sex, or ethnic origin. Students are admitted with the understanding and on condition that they will meet the rigors and requirements of school life.


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Welcome to the County Sheriffs of Colorado
To see what region your agency is a part of click here.
For a complete course catalog, including classes that may not currently be available, please click here.
This class is only open to Eagle County.
The Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) model was developed in 1988 in Memphis, Tennessee, as a partnership between the police department, advocacy groups and treatment providers for people with mental illness, and other community stakeholders to manage crisis situations involving mentally ill subjects. Since that time, many law enforcement agencies have adopted the program and have realized significant benefits in their communities through dramatic declines in injury rates among both citizens and police officers, decreased utilization of the SWAT team to resolve crisis situations and the diversion of people with mental illness from incarceration to community-based mental health services. The goals of CIT are to train law enforcement officers in the recognition of mental illness, to enhance their verbal crisis de-escalation skills, and to provide more streamlined access to community-based mental health services. By engaging mental health consumers with appropriate community supports, the well-being of the individual and the safety of the community can both be enhanced. To that end, this class will include presentations by mental health service providers in the local community to help officers and deputies learn what services are available for people they contact who have mental illness, and to provide community re-entry services for people getting ready to leave jail.
The class is taught by law enforcement personnel from Colorado agencies with extensive experience in CIT situations and training.
This class is only open to Eagle County.
Class begins at 0800 hours each day.


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Diana's Delight Clematis
Ranunculaceae Clematis Dianas Delight
|Availability and Options
Temporarily Out Of Stock
This product is temporarily out of stock. Restocks typically occur at the beginning of each week. Check back soon and sorry for the inconvenience!
|Shipping Information
We ship our Clematis vines starting May 1 and ending September 31.
|Grows In
|Zone 4A · -30° to -25° F through Zone 9B · 25° to 30° F
Grows in Cambridge! (Learn More)
|Sun Exposure
|Full / Mostly Sun, Morning Sun / Evening Shade, Morning Shade / Evening Sun
|Soil Drainage
|Well Drained
|Resistent To
|Flower Color
|Blue, Lavender
|Summer Blooms, Fall Blooms, Early Summer Blooms
|Foliage Color
|Dark Green
|Average Height
|5' to 6', 6' to 8'
|Average Width
|3' to 4'
|Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Visual Attention
Noteworthy Characteristics
Diana's Delight has beautiful, rich lilac-blue colored flowers with light and dark tones and a starry creamy yellow center. The petals form a nicely overlapped bloom that is 6-7 inches across that early summer through early fall. Stunning!
USDA Zones: 4A-9B
Bloom Season: All Summer!
Bloom Color: Rich Lilac- Blue
Bloom Size: 6-7 inch
Bloom Type: Overlapping petals
Light Requirements: Full Sun or Part Shade
Moisture Requirements: Moist, well-drained
Height: 6-8 feet
Width: 1-3 feet
Habit: Vining, Compact
Other Notable Attributes: Huge flowers!
Uses: Borders, Containers, Fences, Mailbox, Posts, Rails, Tree Climber, Trellises & Partitions
Clematis Pruning Group 2
Clematis Group 2 consists of all the early large-flowered hybrid clematis that bloom in late sping or early summer and sometimes again in late summer. These should be pruned lightly in late winter or early spring. Pruning consists of removing weak and crossing shoots then thinning down the plant to a structure of evenly spaced one and two year old stems. Cut each stem just above a pair of healthy buds. If the vine thins at the bottom you can often force a flush of new growth from the base by cutting the vine back to 18 inches immediately after the flush of bloom in June.
How To Plant And Care For Clematis Vines
How To Fertilize And Water Clematis
The Many Uses Of Clematis Vines
One of the most brilliant of all Encore Azaleas, Autumn Bonfire will set your landscape on fire with ...Read more
White flowers against deep maroon leaves in summer are truly stunning! 4-8'H x 4-6'W. FULL SUN. USDA ...Read more
Pleioblastus viridistriatus Chrysophyllus Bamboo
Standing at only 3-4 feet in height the Pleioblastus viridistriatus Chrysophyllus bamboo is great f ...Read more
Sun / 18"H x 36"W / Pink and Yellow Flowers all Season! / Hardy to 0 degrees F! / Butterflies! / Zon ...Read more
Grows best in zones 5A to 9B with average water needs and a lot of sun.
Sun or Part Shade / 3-5'H x 2-3'W / Perfect for accentuating entryways or in containers / USDA Zones ...Read more
Mikawa yatsubusa Japanese Maple
The geren leaves of the multi-branched, compact Acer palmatum Mikawa yatsubusa grow closely together ...Read more
Kumoi Nishiki Japanese Maple (Rare)
The rare 'Kumoi Nishiki' has green leaves that have cream colored variegation for a beautiful spring ...Read more
Fjellheim Dwarf Coral Bark Japanese Maple
Sun or Part Shade / 6-8'H x 4-6'W / A dwarf form of the Coral Bark Maple with red branches in winter ...Read more


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THE GREAT DICTATOR: The Criterion Collection (DVD/Blu-ray)
You don't necessarily equate Charlie Chaplin with vicious satire. But in 1940, with the U.S. still at peace with Nazi Germany, Chaplin made The Great Dictator, one of the most biting pieces of satire in cinema history. It was the first major film to take on Hitler and Nazism, and Chaplin tackled both subjects with eviscerating wit. Chaplin plays both a Jewish barber (thought by some to be the final iteration of his Little Tramp character; Chaplin had different feelings about that at different points in his life) and Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomainia. Hynkel's impassioned speeches, in a made-up language, are hilarious, and a scene involving a giant globe is memorable. The critical community has a mixed consensus on the film's closing monologue, addressing the film's themes in a deadly serious fashion instead of a comic one; I can understand the frustration of some, but to me it's stirring. After last year's Criterion edition of Modern Times, The Great Dictator is the second Chaplin film to join the prestigious Criterion Collection; special features on both the DVD and Blu-ray include audio commentary by Chaplin historians Dan Kamin and Hooman Mehran, a Kenneth Branagh-narrated documentary entitled The Tramp and the Dictator, two visual essays, color production footage shot by Chaplin's half-brother Sydney, a deleted scene from Chaplin's 1919 film Sunnyside, and a theatrical trailer.


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Haier used its stand at IFA to show off some future technologies. It demonstrated gesture control on one device, which looked like something of a pour cousin to Kinect or the original Sony PlayStation Eye Toy.
Of more interest, perhaps, was their mind control TV, called Wave Brain. Pitched along the lines of "your mental power will change channels for you" in Haier's press information, the reality is somewhat different.
The demonstration involved using your mind power to explode a barrel. It's a demo program on the set designed to show how you can influence something with your brain waves.
Of course you don't just stand there doing the Jedi mind trick. You have to put on a piece of headgear - the Wave Brain - which detects and transmits your brain activity to the television.
The wireless headset isn't too cumbersome as far as test rigs go - a couple of contact points is all it needs. But having to wear any sort of headset is going to stand in the way of this sort of technology.
It seemed simple enough to get working, although hanging around the stand we saw that some people struggled to get it to work and Haier staffers seemed well practised, so we're guessing it's something you can learn to do pretty well. Hours standing in front of a TV at a trade show should do that for you. All the same, there were a few too many people, for whom it wouldn't work, who were furnished with excuses like "you have too much hair" or "you have too much sweat" for it to seem like even a marginally well-honed prototype.
It's still an interesting concept, but not one we can really see taking off, even if the headgear does become minimal or done away with completely. Imagine those holiday moments sitting around the TV with Grandma nattering away, you'll subconsciously be turning the TV up and up and up.
How will you negotiate who gets mind control over the TV? Will your partner be constantly switching it back to Eastenders when you're enjoying repeats of 'Allo 'Allo? Will a cheeky moment in Hollyoaks send your TV off to the Adult Channel?
On a more serious level, is it even practical? Currently the Mind Reader can only detect intensity of brain wave activity but that doesn't translate in any way to what you actually want or what you're thinking about, only to how much strength you are thinking at all.
It might work for something graded like volume control but for switching inputs, pressing play and changing channels (let alone specific channels), not only would it require a different technology altogether but, even if it worked, it's more involved and less exact than pressing a button on a remote control.
Call us old fashioned, but pressing a button is still magical enough for us, everything else just makes our brain hurt.


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Missouri to Allow Food Stamps For Drug Felons
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation repealing a prohibition on providing food stamps to people convicted of drug felonies.
The bill signed Friday could allow people with three or fewer drug felonies to receive aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But it would apply only if people have completed, are enrolled in or have been determined not to need a substance abuse program.
Missouri has been among a minority of states that still impose a lifetime ban on government food assistance for drug felonies.
The legislation also would temporarily suspend food stamp or welfare payments to anyone who has not used the electronic benefits in Missouri at least once in the past 90 days. That comes after a recent audit questioned the out-of-state use of welfare benefits.


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Really forbidden love: My name is Ray, and my book is about necrophilia
Somewhere between the gothic eccentricities of filmmakers Tim Burton and David Lynch and the witty intellectualism of authors Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo, emerging writer Brian Ray is exploring an empty building and trying to understand the sick mind of the necrophiliac. Is he crazy?
Eccentric might be the better term for the UNC Greensboro PhD student, although risk-taker, coffee-drinker, and rhetoric enthusiast might all accurately describe this 28-year-old author.
"I'm going to have to get used to telling people about the necrophilia at book fairs," laughs Ray, as he explains the very peculiar problem of the narrator of his upcoming novel, Unknown Female, which combines thriller, crime, and mystery genres into one man's romantic and ethical struggle to solve a case.
"I'm trying to go for the David Lynch persona," says Ray. "He's a charming, funny guy, and he would be someone that could stand in front of a camera and say, 'My next film is about a necrophiliac.'"
Writing about the taboo to be provocative is one thing; Ray, on the other hand, says he's just looking for ways to explore human nature and the lifestyles and decisions of his characters. And his craft.
"I just love working on sentences," he says. "Once a story or novel is done, I don't make revisions regarding plot or character– I'm just trying to get the sentences to sound good."
Indeed, his first novel, Through a Pale Door, was praised not only for its intensely Southern gothic aesthetic and rich characters, but also for the musicality infused in every line.
There, Ray sends his female protagonist, Sarah, through a modern-day bildungsroman as she experiences death and love for the first time. It was both Ray's ability to create a young woman's voice and to craft a quintessentially Southern setting– with the decaying steel mill where he worked in Columbia, South Carolina, graveyards, and abandoned buildings– that won him the inaugural South Carolina First Novel Prize.
Despite the comfort he had in conveying a female perspective in the first book, Ray concedes that one reason he gave the new novel's narrator the penchant for necrophilia was to crush suggestion that the new novel might be autobiographical.
As for his own life, he talks of studying for PhD orals, teaching classes, and preparing to begin and finish a rhetoric dissertation in a year. Ray says he stayed up until 2am most nights, energized by nearly 20 cups of coffee, plowing through mystery novels and television shows to find his muse.
"Writing has always seemed like a kind of privilege, not work," says Ray. "It's crazy in a sense to be working on a book while trying to earn a PhD, but if I were just working in one genre, I'd get burned out pretty quickly."
Necrophilia, Southern gothic settings, gender-bending perspectives? With such precedents, we can't wait to see what Ray comes out with next.
Brian Ray reads from Through A Pale Door and Unknown Female at 4pm Thursday, March 17, at Barnes and Noble.Read more on: brian raynecrophiliaVirginia Festival of the Book


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February 02, 2013
Got them in tan and I LOVE them! So cute. They are true to size. The only problems are that the buckles tend to some loose or undone (one even slightly broke) every time I wear them :( That, and towards the end of the day, my feet start to hurt, but how cute they are outweighs the negatives!
Raleigh, NC 27603
December 12, 2012
Great boots, great price! Perfect for my daughter. Boots arrived earlier than expected. I will definitely order from Urbanog again.
Boscawen, NH 03303
December 12, 2012
Fashionable, Comfortable, Warm, Good price! I bought this first in the dark brown, then a few months later in tan. I love these boots. I didn't want to spend too much, and these were a great price! I am either an 8.5 or 9 and went with a 9. They are a bit big if I wear them without socks or pants but fit perfect with pants and heavy or light socks. THE ONLY problems I have are 1. after awhile the zipper gets loose and slides down a few inches when you walk but I fixed that by putting a touch of superglue on the top after I wore them for a bit and the top stretched so now I can just slide them on. Also, after a few months the back of the heel started to wear down and slant a tad from hitting the ground so often, but it's only a tad bit for me, and it doesn't bother how I walk so hopefully it doesn't go down further, if it does I will probably just get the heel replaced-shouldn't be too expensive. Overall these are a great purchase for the price. I get compliments on them all the time, and they are really comfortable. Just a few minor glitches that are easily solved!
Comstock Park, MI 49321
December 12, 2012
I loved the boots, and wore them every day, BUT the heel wore down to a nub after the first couple weeks because the heel is made out of some sort of soft wood. They are impossible to walk in, now, because the heel is worn to a slant, the back of the boot therefore became ripped up, and they have no traction. The zipper is also loose, like other reviewers have said. But, they were cheap, so I guess I got what I paid for.
Boulder, CO 80304
December 12, 2012
I love these boots! I am 5'1" and I was afraid they would be too tall but the height is perfect and the fit is great. Really happy with the purchase.
Langley, British Columbia V3A8M7
December 12, 2012
The boots are really cute. They fit me well, true to size. My only complaint is the zipper on the back of the boots doesn't stay done up. If I'm walking around throughout the day they will unzip almost half way. I just super glued the zipper shut because I can still get them on without having to undo the zipper every time.
Marrero, LA 70072
November 11, 2012
I love these booths!! The quality is great and I love the contrasting red zipper in the back. These are perfect for walking on campus. Nice and comfortable
Fort Worth, TX 76131
November 11, 2012
Denver, CO 80231
November 11, 2012
I love these boots so much!! They look great, they fit great, and I had no problems with the order.
Richland Hills, TX 76118
November 11, 2012
These boots are everything I was expecting they would be and the quality is very impressive for the price! I'm a size 8.5 and I bought an 8.5. Just couldn't be happier!!!
Chicago , IL 60640
November 11, 2012
Amazing boots! I love that they list the measurements of how tall the boot will be and how big around! I normally wear an 8.5 and I sized up to a 9 and they fit perfectly!
Highlands, TX 77562
November 11, 2012
Perfect Boot. I usually have a hard time finding a knee high boot to fit around my calves, although the fit is snug it is very comfortable. Fit is true to size. Great price for a Great Boot!!
Belleville, IL 62223
October 10, 2012
Great boots. great service. Thank you!
Maple Grove, MN 55311
October 10, 2012
Great boot, very comfy and fits to size. Inside is soft and seems warm, however haven't worn in cold weather yet. I ordered them in brown and love the color and how tall they are. I am 5'6" and they go to about an inch or two below the bottom of my knee. Would definitely recommend!
Lebanon, NJ 08833
October 10, 2012
I love the boots! But definitely order at least 1/2 size up! They are definitely snug on me and I am a size 10.
Lebanon, PA 17046
September 09, 2012
So happy with this shoe! They are adorable, comfortable, and so much cheaper than boots that look exactly like them. I ordered a pair of $80 boots that looked very similar to these at the same time, and returned the expensive ones. Very happy with my purchase!
Salt Lake City, UT 84123
September 09, 2012
I love these boots, especially for the price. They come up to just below my knee and fit loose on my legs, which I like. I am usually a size 8 in flats (and 7.5 in heels), but I got the 8.5 because all the reviews said to size up. They are a little loose on my feet when I wear them without socks but fine with socks. I think I would have been fine with an 8 and probably would have bought that size if I knew, but I'm okay with the 8.5 since I'll probably wear them with socks a lot anyway. I bought the "tan" color and think it's actually more brown, darker than I thought it would be, but I still like the color. I would love if these boots were made in a cognac color!
Murray, UT 84123
September 09, 2012
Love em! Cute and comfy.
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
September 09, 2012
In love with these!
Kemptville, Ontario K0G 1J0
September 09, 2012
As soon as I opened the box I was so happy!! they are exactly like they look in the picture. Shoe sizes are a true fit. The colour I chose was "Rusty" and I was a little surprised to see it had such red undertones. I guess I should have figured that out with the name though. All in all very satisfied and I will be returning to shop some more :)
Lincoln, NE 68521
September 09, 2012
Great shoes! I've been eyeing them since last year and when I saw them back just had to get them. Love the red trim on the back. I also have large calves and these fit perfectly. Maybe too big for someone with "average" or small calves,but great for someone with tree trunks like me!
Otsego, MI 49078
September 09, 2012
Just received these boots today, i am pretty pleased with them. They fit well, i ordered a size 7, i usually wear between 6-7 depending on the shoe. They may be a little big but thats okay since i'll be wearing socks with them. Seem to be super comfortable cannot wait to wear them this fall!
Bloomfield, NY 14469
September 09, 2012
LOVE these boots. Definitely buy them. True to size.
Columbia, SC 29205
August 08, 2012
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! I have a wider calf so most boots I have trouble liking because they are so tight. these fit perfect with the back zipper and the adjustable buckle on the side! cannot wait till it cools down so I can wear these!!
Paramus, NJ 07652
August 08, 2012
These boots are cute, but they definitely run a bit small. I ordered a 7 which is my usual size, and they are a bit tight in the foot and on the calf. Someone else mention that they zipper falls down an inch or two while wearing them which is also true. Regardless, not too hard to deal with. Just order a half size up.
westminster, CO 80234
August 08, 2012
Love them! They are so comfy and fit perfectly.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
August 08, 2012
I get so many compliments on the look of these boots. They are so comfortable and easy to wear with many different looks.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
August 08, 2012
Bought these boots last season in black and absolutely loved them! Decided to get them in brown
Puyallup , WA 98373
August 08, 2012
LOVE LOVE LOVE these, Look amazing in person and not cheap bad quality for such a cheap pair of boots! getting them in more colors for sure!
Medford , OR 97504
August 08, 2012
I was very impressed with these boots! They are fantastic quality and I wear them all the time! The fit is perfect and I didn't have any problems with any of the measurements! However, I don't know if this is a one-time problem with my boots, or a common problem, but while I'm wearing them the zipper always falls down about 2". When zipped all the way up, they feel fine, but after several minutes I can slowly feel the zipper slipping. And I did order a half size bigger than normal, FYI.
Beaverton, OR 97006
August 08, 2012
Great boots, super cute and comfy!
Sioux City, IA 51106
July 07, 2012
These boots are amazing! I usually wear a 6, sometimes a 6.5, so I ordered the bigger size knowing I'd want to wear bigger socks with them come late fall, and they fit perfectly. The color matches the picture, aside from the red part around the zipper being less noticeable. I'd definitely recommend them.
Dallas, TX 75219
July 07, 2012
Riverside, CA 92508
July 07, 2012
I love these boots!!!! I am on my second pair only because the zipper broke on my first pair. Other than that, they are fabulous!
Washington, IL 61571
July 07, 2012
I ALWAYS wear a size 8. I have a pretty normal foot; its not wide or narrow. These boots do run a half size smaller. I ended up having to get an 8.5 and they fit perfectly. Super comfy too.
Leander, TX 78641
December 12, 2011
Love love LOVE them!! They are not as sturdy as they may appear, but still great for the price. I do think they run about a half inch small.
College Station, TX 77840
November 11, 2011
This is one of the best shoe purchases I've ever made. they look amazing! Great quality as well. I'm usually a size 6.5 but I knew that I wanted to wear chunky socks with them so I ordered a 7, they were a bit bigger so they're definitely true to size but if you want a roomier fit go up a size
Mountain View, CA 94043
November 11, 2011
I LOVE THESE BOOTS! Theyre cute and comfy. I got a lot of compliments on them. Definitely worth the price, I'll be wearing these a ton! Worth the money!


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Rose and Funnylegs, I've greatly enjoyed reading your take on this show! I have not yet seen any of the episodes. Honestly the adds turned me off. A lot of what you both said is what I feared about the show. I was completely turned off by the mom character, she appeared to be crass, loud and rude. Through our years with Kathleen I know there have been a few who thought I was a real "B". BUT I have always been considerate, reasonable, and thoughtful of others. I've always followed the correct channels when needed something changed. Watching this mom made me sad that people will think they're correct in assuming moms of children with disabilities are rude loud and over the top with demands. Also from what I've seen and read from your reviews She and the family seem to be so focused on the disabled child that the "idea of family" is "lost" the normalcy in the family sounds like it's lost. Our family was a "family" first and was a family with a child with special needs second. More normal than not. Sure it affected our older children and sometimes they were put second but to me that's "normal" All siblings have greater needs at different times. Sometimes they came first too if they needed it. I agree with Rose Life goes on did it right!
Rose and funnylegs you could honestly do it right!!!!
Mary Grace


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2" x 3½" Business Card - Flower Sketch
Bring sweet subtle beauty to your custom project with pre-designed Flower Sketch templates. Like hand-drawn designs from a nature book, the floral design features a small collection of pretty flowers with tall stems, round yellow centers, and soft pink petals amongst delicate green leaves. A pink heart with green vine-like leaves growing out of each side helps define the space. The design provides pink and yellow solid backgrounds, for the appearance of earth and sky, with accenting horizontal pink stripes for balance. The design works well for projects related to flowers, gardening, landscaping, parties, or Valentine's Day. Grow your personal or professional project into greatness with printable pre-designed Flower Sketch templates.
Shape: Rectangle
Dimension: 2" x 3½"
Start Designing


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MSc in Molecular Pathology 2020
Human Genetics Unit of the Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo is the only centre in Sri Lanka dedicated to providing clinical genetic services including genetic testing and genetic counselling. In addition we conduct both undergraduate, postgraduate, and CME courses in genetics for medical and allied health professionals and programmes aimed at raising genetic awareness among the public. We have an active research programme in reproductive genetics. We play in advocacy to make genetic services available to the people of Sri Lanka and contribute to policy formation in the field of genetics in Sri Lanka.
|Human Genetics Unit, Kynsey Road,
|Working Hours:
|Colombo 08, SRI LANKA.
|8.00 am to 4.00 pm Monday to Friday


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Earlier this week, we reviewed the fragrant pencils that Field Notes sent us for review. Today, we will review the ubiquitous brown notebook. Field Notes thoughtfully send us a Mixed Pack, with one lined, one graphed and one just naked. We've put one through a good number of pencil tests and offer this pencil-specific review.聽 (And thanks for Field Notes for the great mention on their site!)
Cover Material: French Dur-O-Tone 80#C "Packing Brown Wrap."
Paper: Boise Offset Smooth 50#T "White."
Binding: Three-staple saddle stitch.
Size: 3-1/2鈥 X 5-1/2鈥?
Page Count: 48 pages.
Unique Characteristics: Witty information printed in front and back of cover, including reward/address blank; possibly also being made in the USA.
Origin: United States.
Availability: From FieldNotesBrand.Com and select online and brick-and-mortar retailers.
When you first open a three-pack of Field Notes, you might notice that the package resembles a certain "Cahier" produced by a company whose products and historical claims are not without controversy. There are three identical, soft-covered notebooks held together by a central, horizontal band. However, the notebooks diverge there.
For starters, let's compare the claims. One notebook claims to be the favorite of Hemingway, Chatwin, et al., although the company was founded in the 1990s and produces its notebooks in China. While I don't have a problem with Asian production in itself, and while the company in question has revised its statement to call their notebooks the "heir" to the classic used by some of my literary heroes, lots of people have felt intentionally duped. For myself, I have a softspot for Moleskines that I can't seem to quit. The claim made by Field Notes is that they are inspired by classic pocket ledgers and farm notebooks. No one is claiming that Field Notes will boost anyone's creativity. Field Notes claim to be useful. The premium price ($10 + shipping for three thin notebooks, unless you're lucky enough to live where you can get them in person) seems to run contrary to the simple and down-home heritage. However, I honestly have no idea how much old farmers' notebooks used to cost, let alone with taking inflation into consideration.
So, Field Notes are useful pocket tools for writing down information on the go. Their size and weight definitely lend themselves to this purpose, and their solid construction continues in the same vein. There are myriad other reviews on the net (see Field Notes' site for a list) which call them durable, practical, attractive and a pleasure to use. I found all of these claims to be more than true.
First, the cover is stiff, with clean printing. Even after rolling around with graphite pencils, in a vintage Army bag and being stuck in piles of other books and notebooks, my Field Notes book actually looks barely used. The book tends to stay open as a result of the stiffness of the cover. This doesn't bother me, but I can imagine it bugging the heck out of some Comrades. There is no bookmark, which did bother me a bit, but a tiny binder clip did the trick nicely and actually looked very good doing it. (A Field Notes binder clip one day?)
The paper is white, with lines that match the cover (in this case, brown). They are well-spaced and even throughout the notebook. The last time I bought a pack of pocket "Cahiers" with graph paper, two entire books were off-center, one so much that it was difficulty to use. The Field Notes' paper feels both thicker and stiffer than a "Cahier," and it has a better tooth and more consistent texture. That bodes well for pencil lead being able to make nice and dark marks. I noticed that lighter and harder pencils are difficult to use on this paper. Anything lighter than an HB Mirado or Grip 2001 didn't leave a mark that I could read. The paper works very well with soft pencils and exceedingly well with pencils with a bit of a scratch factor. As you might remember, I said that the Field Notes pencil had a little scratch to it and that I thought it made sense, so that Comrades could write on the run and know they were leaving a mark. I think something similar can be said about the paper. Pencil doesn't glide across it the way that it glides across Rhodia paper, but that's not what Field Notes are made to do. They are made to travel in your pocket and help you to remember things, solve problems, etc. A durable pencil and durable paper, especially when the "feedback" indicates that you are, in fact, writing down legibly the name of that author your Comrade mentioned on a hike or the contact information of someone you met on a trip. Besides — overly creamy paper in a rough and stiff brown cover seems like a bizarre contradiction somehow. One problem I found with using pencils in these notebooks is ghosting. "Ghosting" is what I call the transfer of graphite from one page onto another by means of the pressure from writing on the backs of pages. This happens with soft pencils all the time in notebooks. But it feels like Field Notes are especially prone to this messy graphite shadowing. However, I'm sticking with my idea of these as practical notebooks, not pieces of art. As such, ghosting is only a moderate issue, when writing is still perfectly legible. Unless you actually pet your notebooks and re-read them often, it's not likely to bother you.
Not only that, but the notebook and pencil make a great pair, with their matching aesthetic (not just the print), durable and practical design, and slight edge.聽 I like to think of Field Notes products as akin to bags made of Army canvas.聽 Their roughness amounts to, as I said, an edge.聽 They are hardy and do seem to sacrifice delicacy for practicality.聽 That's what I personally like about my vintage Army map case (shown above) and, often, about pencils in general.聽 They always just work.


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Obstacles to Innovation
Move Beyond the "Rule of Thumb"
Professor of Management Nicole Biggart studies organizational theory, management of innovation, and economic and organizational sociology. In this blog, she discusses obstacles to innovation in Network Production Organizations.
Why is it so difficult for some industries to apply innovations that will save money, produce more business, and are better for society? In many cases, innovations and new technology exist, but are extremely slow in being adopted. In our recent study, "The Role of Social Heuristics in Project-centered Production Networks," Thomas Beamish and I examine why some industries struggle to innovate their processes and adapt more efficient technologies.
We focused on the commercial construction industry, exploring why green technology and processes are often bypassed even though they are available and well-priced. We noticed that in this industry buildings were being built using outdated technology, technology that wastes energy. It's an interesting public policy question because buildings have become the largest users of energy, even surpassing the energy used by vehicles. Making energy efficient buildings is critical to national security, and our climate. Why aren't the most efficient, cost-effective technologies being adopted?
My coauthor and I came to understand that an obstacle that hinders innovations in the commercial construction industry is something called "social heuristics" or the conventions and rules of thumb that guide the construction process. There are conventions that shape financing, the selection of participants, the designs that are considered possible, and the range of "acceptable" technologies. In essence, all aspects of constructing a building are imbued with rules, methods, and taken for granted assumptions that thwart innovation.
For example, the notion of building skyscrapers, hospitals, or "big box" retail outlets are preconceived with particular elements in mind. If many of these elements or assumptions are altered the project is deemed too risky and vulnerable to financial loss. It becomes much more difficult to finance a "green building" than a traditional, inefficient building that fits conventional ideas of a "normal" building.
An added complication with green buildings, even if financing is approved, is that the actual building process itself becomes more difficult. Subcontractors who have little experience with novel technologies have to learn something new. It is always easier to do what you know.
Buildings are constructed once by a group of subcontractors who may be coming together for the first time to build a structure and they may never work together again. This unique undertaking is possible because the architect, plumbers, electricians, and carpenters have preconceived notions of how they will fit into a project. They rely on their past knowledge of how things come together and have assumptions about everyone's role in constructing a "typical building". They install plumbing, construct framing, and add electrical wiring, according to assumptions of best past practices that everyone can plug into without having to communicate directly with one another. Because they've never built together before, they're going to be as risk averse as possible and resistant to the introduction new technologies and methods that add elements of novelty.
When you start to add something new to the already complex building process, you raise the risk level. Asking to add new and better technology, say, in a heating and ventilating system is intimidating because financiers and subcontractors prefer to work within project parameters that are familiar. It's a conservative and formulaic way of completing a project, and relies heavily on conventions in order to succeed.
The commercial construction industry is not the only industry that operates this way— many industries including fashion design, manufacturing, and movie making use this model, which is called a Network Production Organization (NPO). An NPO is a group of subcontractors who come together at any given time to produce a product. It could be a film, it could be a bridge, or it could be an advertisement. They're independent but connected through industry networks, conventions (social heuristics), and the project itself.
Social heuristics hold these networks of subcontractors together. Heuristics are shortcuts or conventions—they're rules of thumb for how to get things accomplished without the need to explain each step. When you come together to produce a movie or a building, you don't start from scratch. You start with the understanding that you're going to build a three-story, 30,000 square foot parking garage similar to the one you did last time, or you're going to produce a romantic comedy where boy meets girl and they live happily ever after—it's a formula that is easy to understand and enables coordination of multiple actors and technology. From the beginning all parties have a good sense of what needs to be done to complete the project, because there's an existing model or template that doesn't have to be negotiated. People collectively understand: "Oh yes, that's the movie we're making." Or, "That's the building we're creating." All of a sudden, you've drastically limited all other possibilities. It's very efficient, but ultimately it doesn't make the best possible movies or the most energy efficient and innovative buildings.
Do you work in an industry that's slow in adopting new technologies? Do you find that you or your team make decisions based on social heuristics—existing templates that determine the way you make decisions? What are some methods you've used to speed up the process of innovation?
Share your comments with us below.


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Quilled Ladybugs in the Grass with Tutorial – Husking Technique Tutorial.
I got the idea to quill grass with ladybugs a few months ago when I was working on martisoare. Back then, I made a simple design suited for the small talismans knowing that at some point I would come back to this idea and create a framed project.
Quilled Grass Leaves Tutorial – Husking Technique
You will need a cork board and baking paper or parchment to prevent the paper strips from sticking to the paper where you'll mark your guiding points. I drew them 1cm apart, but you can make them as far apart or as close as you want to.
I used 2mm wide strips, 2 shades of green for each leaf (120gsm combined with 80gsm). You will need very long paper strips, 40cm up to 80 cm, so glue 2-3 strips together before you start to weave them around the pins.
This quilling technique is called "husking". Insert your first pin into the cork board and secure the paper strips by making a tiny loop. Insert the next pin and bring the paper strips around it, making sure to always add glue at the base of your first pin every time you come back to that point. Repeat the process until the desired grass leaf length is achieved.
Remove the pins and you'll get something like this:
Add glue in the interior of the quilled element and then squeeze it between your fingers for around 10 seconds until the adhesive dries.
This is how it should like in the end:
The grass leaves length varies between 5cm – 9cm. Stick 2-3 layers on top of each other to add depth to your project. I really like how they look glued in tiny bunches!
You can use the comb technique to get these quilled shapes, I feel more comfortable working with the pins. This is how big they will turn out:
I hope you found the tutorial useful! Thank you for your visit!
Happy Quilling!