text:
Lovely writing freinds!
Three Blogs, Three Boxes, breaking in the hoarding habit
- A link. November 22, 2016http://www.compulsive-hoarding.org/Three-Cs.htmlPauline Rusert
- Foundation November 22, 2016Change is terrifying. It occurs to me that getting rid of stuff is akin to fear of the unknown, and more specifically to change, and change is terrifying. Allowing for change may be better, and it may be worse, but it won't be static. Even if I am unhappy with my old patterns, or my […]Pauline Rusert
- Stuff, stuff, stuff: Holy Toledo! November 17, 2016I have so much STUFF, even after previous purges. I think I have been, subconsciously waiting for it to all magically disappear. Surprise! That isn't how it works at all! Duh! I've just been moving boxes like some kind of maniacal shell game, to make a place for my son to have a room of […]Pauline Rusert
- Hello Out There May 24, 2014Lovely writing freinds!Pauline Rusert
- What is compulsive hoarding May 24, 2014What is compulsive hoardingPauline Rusert
- Moving May 24, 2014It's time to move. To make decisions, and to do it quickly. I have to not only get back to working on getting rid of stuff, and getting this blog going again, but on myself, and on my own self esteem and worthiness as well. I have to make some big decisions in my life and […]Pauline Rusert
- Another OCD/Hoarding link. Thanks Mom! May 24, 2014I got this link from my mom. I haven't had a chance to do more than glance at it yet, but I think it is worth sharing. http://www.ocfoundation.org/hoarding/medication.aspxPauline Rusert
- UCSD Specialty programs: OCD May 24, 2014UCSD Specialty programs: OCD My mom sent me this link. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, as I've just pulled it up. I will read it, but right now, I have to get back to work on getting rid of stuff.Pauline Rusert
- Repost from Ginny Rorby, The Next Coming by Jewels Joyce Marcus October 16, 2012http://grorby.blogspot.com/ The Next Coming by Jewels Joyce Marcus smashingmagazine.com The Writers of the Mendocino Coast got together with local artists in what's called a Ekphrasis in which one medium of art attempts to relate or describe another. Sixteen writers and sixteen local artists split into two groups. Eight writers submitted a story or […] […]Pauline Rusert
- Belief September 22, 2012Today, I stepped back. I went and picked up stuff that I could have let go. I've been pretty good about not picking up random stuff, and in letting things go. I think part of my trip about collecting and hanging on to things is trying to save things, or more accurately in trying to […]Pauline Rusert
- A link. November 22, 2016
Recent Comments
Pauline Rusert on Repost from Ginny Rorby, The N… Pauline Rusert on Repost from Ginny Rorby, The N… Zhou on Repost from Ginny Rorby, The N… paulinerusert on Belief paulinerusert on Belief Susan N on Belief mom4ccb on Belief mom4ccb on Belief paulinerusert on Perspective: Subjective, Objec… mom4ccb on Perspective: Subjective, Objec… paulinerusert on My Attic makemoneywithmoney on My Attic paulinerusert on "Domestic Godsess to Dep… paulinerusert on "Domestic Godsess to Dep… paulinerusert on "Domestic Godsess to Dep…
Posting Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
May 2014 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Three Blogs, Three boxes: where I'm coming from
Blog Stats
- 5,801 hits
Three Blogs Three Boxes
more » HubPages


text:
Free Delivery
On all orders over £50
(UK Addresses)
Sign up to our mailing list and keep up to date with:
You are currently shopping on our UK website. All prices shown are in British Pound Sterling.
Click on the country flag above to shop on our Ireland or USA websites.
Website by Eyekiller
Please wait...
has been added to your bag

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Published by reemdiary
Its about a girl how loves fashioned style( design, beauty, draw), with all that been said amazing simple life with my amazing baby boy. Also am a Phd student in Genetic field who loves science. In my blog am aiming to focus an styling and help other form my pint of view, in personal style in what to ware or to use as beauty product that i had beeb used before and home styling, with showing you some of my drawing and fashion Desing View all posts by reemdiary


text:
Bumped into New York City's mosaic man (and his dog) on this past weekend.
He's been making mosaics on street light poles for 25 years!
Support his public street art by visiting artist Jim Powers site, themosaicman.com or walk the streets of the East Village and seek his works out yourself.


text:
Commentary: Is pay equality this year's legitimate rape?
Here's where the Republican Party's core ideology bumps up against what it needs to do to survive.
And against what women need to be treated fairly in the workplace.
It's been a year since, at the behest of chairman Reince Priebus, the GOP performed an agonizing reappraisal of its national electability. While Priebus recently declared victory, citing progress mostly in the areas of technology and presidential primary structure, the party is arguably in even worse shape in the policy areas highlighted in last year's memo.
The bitterness and dashed expectations around immigration reform have been well-documented and continue to give the party real problems with Latino voters, more than 70 percent of whom chose Obama over Mitt Romney in 2012. Then Rep. Paul Ryan did a Romney 47 percent redux the other day, which didn't help.
But another issue could have even more long-term impact on the party's fortunes: Pay equity for women.
Republicans, at the core, aren't fans of any kind of regulation. They are particularly not fond of passing laws that give trial lawyers a new club with which to beat on corporate America.
Which is understandable — but facts are stubborn things. Every year, the American Association of University Women puts out a pay-equity report. The latest shows that the pay gap is real, and it isn't changing by itself. The 2012 overall number was the same as the 2002 number: Among full-time, year-round workers, women were paid 77 percent of what men made for the same work.
Education doesn't always help — and in fact in many cases the pay gap is worse at higher educational levels. . It gets worse with age: As women gain more work experience, they are paid less and less as a percentage of what their male counterparts earn.
And — double whammy, GOP? — the gap is far worse for women of color. Latino women earn just 53 percent of what males earn for doing the same work.
If opposing pay equity is a litmus test for true Republicanism, at least the party should figure out a way to improve its messaging. Right now, it's a disaster.
Earlier this week, the executive director of the Texas Republican Party said that instead of "pursuing the courts for action," women should simply "become better negotiators."
A day earlier, the executive director of Red State Women PAC, a Texas group supporting gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott in his race against Democratic challenger Wendy Davis, explained her opposition of pay-equity legislation by saying women want "real-world solutions, not rhetoric."
Pressed to explain, she said:
"If you look at it, women are extremely busy. ... We lead busy lives, whether working professionally, whether working from home, and times are extremely busy. It's a busy cycle for women, and we've got a lot to juggle. So when we look at this issue we think, what's practical? And we want more access to jobs. We want to be able to get a higher education degree at the same time we're working or raising a family."
This tone deafness isn't confined to Texas. In Minnesota this month, Republican State Rep. Andrea Kieffer complained that a package of bills to raise the minimum wage, introduce paid sick leave and address the pay gap make women "look like whiners."
Other than showing Republican women can say offensive things about women almost as effectively as Republican men, statements like these aren't helping the party's gender gap.
In fact, they are keeping the "Republican war on women" meme alive and well. Pay equity could well be the "legitimate rape" of the 2014 midterm season.
It will be two years in June since Senate Republicans blocked an important follow-up to the Lilly Ledbetter Act of 2009 that would have barred retaliation against women who question their pay, and made it easier for women to sue for punitive damages if they had been discriminated against.
"We don't think America suffers from a lack of litigation," sniffed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
One wonders if McConnell and his party will ever get the memo about what it takes to be relevant in today's conversation. Or if Alison Lundergan Grimes will be saying something much different from McConnell's Senate desk next year.


text:
Epic Games On The Future Of Triple-A Game Development Marketing And Pricing
from the the-future-is-inevitable deptIn a pair of interviews with Develop, Epic Games' Mike Capps shares his thoughts on some of the problems the industry faces by having focused on AAA game development for so long. According to Capps, this focus on AAA games, or games with large budgets and high production values, has led to the death of lower quality but still good AA games.
In the first interview, Capps was asked if the death of AA game development and the rising costs of AAA game development is good for the gamer.
No, no I don't think so at all. Certainly as a gamer I don't think what's going on is a good thing. Triple-A is as much about marketing these days as it is about production values.Here he lays out some of the concerns over marketing allocation for games. While publishers will release a number of games during the year, the vast majority of the marketing budget is spent on only one or two hits. However, he feels that this is changing in gaming. Capps feels that there is a marketing shift from direct marketing to building a community behind games.
Take a game like BulletStorm, for example. That game was supported and well reviewed but just didn't break out. It wasn't a failure, but it wasn't a success that could fund a series of projects either. That's a game that I think people loved but it's not one that gets the $100 million marketing budget, because that amount of money is only spent on a few sure-fire hits and annualised sequels.
There's a lot of great games out there that don't take off. How many games have you loved that sell less than three million units? There's probably dozens. Those games can't get made in today's games economy. So no, I don't think it's a good thing that the middle-class of games have gone away.
I'm not an expert here, but there is a huge impact from non-commercial marketing these days with things like Facebook and Twitter. If you don't spam people then you can be very useful to your customers. We were not forward-thinking in that area, but we're really driving in this space now and have more than one million Facebook fans.Such a move can certainly help the viability of AA games in the market. Many game developers, specifically in the indie scene, have learned that building a community behind a game increases the word of mouth exposure of the game and the developer. As AAA publishers shift to a community focused marketing strategy, they will be able to focus more on the games themselves.
But other forms of marketing and PR are starting to change things. The focus is changing from shoving TV ads in people's faces to actually building a community.
I don't know if there will be the same amount of TV adverts in five years' time. No one gets fired for buying TV ads, because they make sense, but soon they will start to make less and less sense. I think what could happen is a lot of money can be saved with less TV adverts and that itself, perhaps, could free up more money to take more risks and be more creative.
Moving on to the second interview, Capps feels that pricing restrictions on consoles are also part of the problem of less viable AA games.
I think another thing that's changed is the way people are willing to spend their money. Consoles need to adapt to this. Game revenue has moved to the service model and the microtransactions model. Consoles need to start being comfortable with that. They need to be able to do something where small virtual items can be sold and bought for 20¢ without a long certification process and a price approval process.On the surface, this may seem contridictory to comments Capps made earlier in the year about how $1 games are destroying the games industry. Hopefully, Capps is just seeing the folly of that view point and instead feels as he is expressing now, that console manufacturers need too allow more price flexibility. While they probably don't need to let prices drop to $1, having more available pricing options will only help some games.
Right now we're not even allowed to change the prices of virtual content. We're not even allowed to set the prices. I just don't think this protectionist approach is going to be successful in a world where the price of virtual items changes on a day-today basis.
Double-A games will never come back unless we get rid of this notion of a game being $60 or not released. The console manufacturers need to let this happen. The best way of driving developers to PC is telling them they have no freedom in what prices they can set for virtual items. It would be great to have the level of freedom that, say, Steam gives you.
As game development further moves into the realities brought by the digital age, there will be companies lost as they try to hold onto old business models that may have worked in the past but do not work today or will not work tomorrow. As Capps has shared, marketing and pricing are two aspects that will change the fastest. As gamers rely less and less on television and print media for gaming announcements and move more toward social media for that information, game publishers will need to adapt or they will be left behind. As console manufacturers continue to insist on complete control over game pricing, gamers will move toward platforms that allow for less expensive fare that provides just as much enjoyment. Times change and so do markets. Epic Games seems to be on a path toward success in this new age, how many other developers and publishers will join them?
Filed Under: marketing, pricing, video games
Companies: epic games


text:
Joanne McNeil, the editor of Rhizome, will be in the UK over the next two weeks, speaking at these upcoming events:
Improving Reality, organized by the Lighthouse Foundation, part of Brighton Digital Festival. Sept 6, 2012
Session 1. The Edge of Reality: How do speculative fictions, alternate realities, and radically new conceptions of time help shape our experience of reality? Today, writers, designers and artists are working with techniques and ideas which only a few years ago would have been considered science fiction. This sessions presents tales from the edge of reality, near-future designs, unlikely inventions, time travel and atemporality. Speakers include Warren Ellis, Anab Jain, Leila Johnston, and Joanne McNeil.
Artist Talk, organized by FACT, part of the Liverpool Biennial
Sept 13, 2012
Come and join artists Anja Kirschner, David Panos and Jemima Wyman who are exhibiting at FACT as part of Liverpool Biennial. Alongside Joanne McNeil, Editor of Rhizome, they will explore and respond to provocations set by the Biennial's 2012 exhibition, The Unexpected Guest.


text:
The father and the son share memories. Like those of many fathers and sons, the memories are attached to shared times, and as with many fathers and sons of a certain age who grew up in Texas, those shared times were spent hunting. Deer, duck, goose, dove, quail. At least hauling guns around in the cold and drinking beer outside.
The father and son both lived their most formative years in Houston, but they had a place in Orange Grove, near Corpus Christi, and on that place they kept a pig named Queenie and a calf named Calfie and assorted sheep and goats and a Jeep for getting from one blind to another. They also had a wife and a sister, respectively, but while those two surely have memories of their own, this is not their story, because they have chosen to stop telling it.
The father and the son keep telling their story. Like the telling will explain, as they say art sometimes can. As if repetition could make it real. As if an agreed-upon plot could synchronize the details. Because explanation is hard to come by. Because even now the story hardly seems credible. And because the details do indeed diverge.
James McGuire, for instance, remembers his dad, Charlie McGuire, a larger-than-life man of fierce drives and masculine appetites.
Kathryn McGuire, who used to be Charlie McGuire, hardly remembers that at all.
That's because Charlie is a woman now. Has been lo these past eight years. Days spent largely in the pursuit of a "normal" life that was denied her during the 49 years she spent trapped in a wildly successful man's body. A normal life, as a normal woman, that remains threatened by the bald existence of the fact that Charlie McGuire, known at the time as Charles/Kathryn, titillated, amazed and appalled Houston's political, business and society communities by, among other outrageous acts, spending close to $100,000 to remove his body hair, smooth his skin, soften his shape, grow breasts, cut off his balls, fillet his dick and shove it inside out into what the doctors call a neovagina.
And James, once the boy, is a man now, aged 31, gay, a playwright launching his off-off-Broadway career with Daddy Kathryn.
It's an exceedingly odd slice of Texana receiving a high-profile New York airing, and anyone familiar with the elite provincialism of New York City might reasonably suspect that its grittier details have been fictionalized to raise eyebrows in the jaded land of a thousand theaters.
Not so.
The play is advertised as an "autobiographical, highly neurotic semi-theatre piece, about Kathryn McGuire, a millionaire transvestite that runs for city council in Houston, Texas."
That summation isn't complete -- the McGuire story defies summary -- but the melding of characters is telling. Autobiography is, by definition, about one's self. But when your life is so tangled in another man's life, your story can end up being his, even if he ends up being a she.
It's easy enough to imagine that story could tear you apart. Now imagine that it ties you together.
Charlie McGuire was born near Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1941, the first and only son of a construction worker.
"What's so strange about my life," Charles has said, "is that I grew up doing construction work since I was nine years old. All those relatives of mine say, 'God, you were always such a little man.' I can remember them just drumming this into my head, what a man was."
Problem is, Charlie had already started figuring out what a man wasn't. The way Kathryn remembers it now, he was five years old when he visited his grandmother's house in Corpus and told her that he was cold.
"She put her robe on me, and I could feel the difference. She said, 'here, put your grandfather's coat on,' and I said, 'no, I don't want to put Grandfather's coat on. I want your robe.' "
On one such occasion young Charlie's parents walked in, found him wearing the robe and "blew up." That's how Charlie learned that wearing women's clothes was not something that little men did. He did not, however, stop wearing women's clothes. He simply became a bigger man.
He worked for his father's construction company. He played four years of grade-school football, quit, then came back to letter in his senior year, earning an invitation to try out for the Texas A&M team. All the while, dressing as a girl in private moments.
"I actually wondered if everybody else did it. There's nothing wrong with me. They must be doing it, right? If I'm in high school and a football player and a big sports fan and working construction in the summers since I was nine years old, had my own car when I was 14, go hunting every weekend, play basketball, softball, hey ... everybody else must be doing the same thing I'm doing. I'm not the weird one.
"I didn't understand why guys didn't want to dress up. I mean, it makes a complete picture. You know, go out and hunt, come home and put the pantyhose on. So I did."
But Charlie knew that not everyone did, that in a very real way -- and in the 1950s, a potentially dangerous way -- he was the weird one. He kept his dress-up to himself.
"When I got older, I'd go out of town. It's bizarre, because what you do, you may spend, like, three hours getting made up back then and think you look just as pretty as can be, and man, you look like some scag out of a horror movie. You walk out that door and turn around and walk back in because you're scared to go out there. See, I was out of town a lot building highways, staying in motels. Get dressed up, walk down the hall and get some ice. That's as far as you'd get. Even in a place where no one knew you. It's against the law back then, a lot of places. Kind of hard to explain to someone you're working for -- 'hey, guess what I got arrested for last night?' For a long time I never even carried women's clothes with me. I'd go buy a nightgown or something and then just throw it away."
He kept it to himself when he got married at age 20, the same year he became the youngest superintendent ever hired at one of Corpus Christi's largest construction companies, a job he got on account of his extensive knowledge of asphalt. Charlie's wife, of course, found out early on, and there was tension, but it remained their secret through a move to Houston and the birth of a daughter in 1964, and a son, James, in 1967. He kept it largely to himself as he built his empire, M&C Consolidated, Inc., into the No. 1 seller of stabilized sand in Houston. McGuire's stabilized sand is part of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, Westheimer Road, Loop 610 and the Hardy Toll Road. Charles McGuire became a millionaire.
"I always said when I was young that if I had enough money, I could live my life like I want to live it."
And yet some days he would go to work and just cry. His secretary would see the sadness and tell him to take a few hours and go dress up, break his foul mood.
"That wasn't me. That was just a shell I was in, or an image I was projecting to make everybody happy."
And yet not everyone was happy. Charles's wife of 20 years divorced him in 1981, when James was a freshman in high school. Kathryn describes the split as amicable and says the two are still friends. He describes her as a born-again Christian. James describes her as "out there, definitely," and adds, "Mom is very religious." Both Kathryn and James asked that the former Mrs. McGuire not be contacted out of respect for her privacy. Ditto the sister.
Charles moved alone into a huge new house in the Memorial area and continued making money hand over fist.
Then his shell began to crack.
In 1987 the justice department began an investigation of three Houston companies suspected of price-fixing and racketeering related to state and local road projects. One of those companies was McGuire's, and as the feds dug, they uncovered Charlie's secret. He felt sure the feds would out him, use his fetish to taint him. He had already been taking female hormones for five years, had already been through an 18-month series of electrolysis treatments. His surgically restructured, more feminine nose was six years old.
"I was kind of told that if I didn't cooperate, they would. I never was one to like to be intimidated. So I just take it off the table. If it's not on the table they can't use it."
Charlie, not a man for small gestures, took his secret off the table and put it on the front page of the Houston Post, whose October 7, 1988, edition carried the headline "Transvestite Now Claims Probe Linked to Lifestyle" and a color photograph of McGuire in full drag.
Charles McGuire had spent 47 years being a man's man. A husband. A father. A provider. A successful businessman in a man's business. He had amassed a fortune so that he could live his life the way he wanted, and when he finally played his cards, it seemed easy enough to read them: What he wanted was out.
It would not be that easy.
James remembers the day his father told him. He was in Houston for the summer, and his mother was out of town, so he was staying with his dad.
"He's like, 'I just really want to tell you something. I want to tell you something before you hear it on the street.' I was like, 'what are you talking about?' And he said, you know, 'I like to wear women's clothes, and I'm a transvestite, and I've always considered myself a woman and blah blah blah.' I could deal with it. I knew, and he knew, and I don't think that he knew that I knew, but I could deal with it on that level. When it was in my face it was very uncomfortable. That evening, I guess he had to be someplace as his female self, and he's like, 'I'm sorry to have to do this to you,' and then he started painting his nails in front of me. I couldn't even look at him at that point. It was really awkward."
Kathryn remembers that day, too.
"I told James. He said, 'Are you gay?' I said no. He says, 'well I am.' "
"The psychiatrist," says Kathryn, "says there are no family secrets. They know. You just don't know that they know."
And if James had harbored suspicions about his dad's secret life, Kathryn had also suspected James's homosexuality.
"I just figured I might as well get it all out while this was all happening," James remembers. "He said he wasn't surprised at that moment, but then that night he was like, 'Where did I go wrong? Oh, my God, I can't believe you're gay!' He kind of freaked out, which was really kind of surprising.
"But then of course he had to accept it. He's, like, running around in women's clothes. It's like he had no choice but to accept it. I think that's why it was pretty easy for me to come out. In that sense we connected I think at that point. He was sort of like this transvestite, and I was gay, so it was like there was a connection then."
"Yes, it was hard," Kathryn remembers. "What was hard is that gays live a harder life than normal people. I lived a harder life than a normal person, so I know; I am the one that can make that argument, because I have lived the harder life. That was what worried me most, was him having a harder life than if he had just been straight."
"I didn't really get to know my dad," says James, "until I got to know Kathryn."
Kathryn, out for good, threw herself into the social whirl of Houston with a vengeance. Reporters beat a path to her door, and the unavoidably clumsy name tag "Charles/ Kathryn" attached itself to the newly minted celebrity like a tick. The Chronicle ran feature stories. The Post ran feature stories. The inaugural issue of this paper carried a long interview. Charles/Kathryn became a staple of the society pages and the gossip columns, and even TV reviewers had to weigh in on the phenomenon after Jan Glenn spent two graphic hours interviewing Houston's most famous transvestite.
Charles/Kathryn didn't fit the standard transvestite image. She was successful, high profile, outspoken, unembarrassed. If she ever felt like God had dealt her a lousy hand, she never let on. She was a born performer, and she would open her fabulous closet full of dresses and heels to anyone who asked, and she was as entertaining telling stories about her hard-drinking, gun-toting days as a man as she was modeling the Ungaro suit she wore to George Bush's presidential inauguration.
Houston loved her for it.
In 1989 she decided to run for City Council district C against incumbent Vince Ryan. Inside Edition and A Current Affair both aired profiles. She came in second place with 8.2 percent of the vote. In March 1991 the price-fixing probe was dropped without charges.
On Father's Day of that same year, Charles/Kathryn boarded a plane to London, where doctors would surgically change his genitals from male to female. The British surgeons, perhaps unknowingly, chose an oddly fitting date for the five-hour operation: Juneteenth, the day Texas slaves found out that they were free at last.
Kathryn took Houston filmmaker Brian Huberman along for the ride, paying the bills for a documentary titled The Last Days of Charles/Kathryn.
The duality had gotten to be too much.
"I got to where I just wanted to just go live and just be Kathryn. [The celebrity] got to where quite frankly it took on a life of its own. It kind of got away from me. It's like I'm standing there watching this thing, you know?"
There's a moment in Huberman's film when Charles/Kathryn recounts the pressures of the investigation and the pressures of his very public lifestyle.
"One of my private investigators that worked for me said one time, he said, 'you know, most people in this situation would have committed suicide or left town. You just start dressing more and more every day.' I said, 'That's right, I'm not running.' "
And yet the running theme of the documentary is Charles/Kathryn's countdown to the day that "Charles" dies.
Huberman's camera is trained on Kathryn as she wakes up in her hospital bed the morning after the surgery. Kathryn wakes up looking frightful, glances around the room and asks Huberman: "Am I through?"
Yes, you're through.
Then Kathryn restarts her groggy narration without skipping a beat.
"This is my first day in the hospital. Today is my first sex-change operation catheter. I never had a catheter in me in my life. This is my first day without my you-know-what."
And then, smiling: "I'm a steer."
Kathryn recovered, flew back to Houston, gave one more interview and left town. Charlie hasn't been seen since.
Kathryn McGuire is waiting on the sidewalk outside a mid-Manhattan eatery called O'Flaherty's. She's wearing black jeans, a red blouse, black cowboy boots and large-framed glasses with gold rims that set off her reddish hair and make her look just a bit like Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie.
Except that Kathryn McGuire doesn't look like a man.
Her voice is slightly higher than the one recorded on Huberman's preoperative documentary, and her feminine mannerisms are better practiced. She drawls like a Texan, prefers her stories tall like a Texan and is so immediately charming, in a boisterous way, that you want to like her even before you inevitably do.
Ours is the first interview she has done since leaving Houston. She went to Prague and lived there for two years. She and a partner had planned to open a Mexican food restaurant there, but by the time they got their ducks in a row, the Eastern European mafia had moved in and rents had skyrocketed.
So Kathryn moved to Amsterdam where she met a Turkish man to whom she became briefly engaged.
"The Turk wanted me to go to Ankara and carry his children. Right. We were gonna live with his parents till we get enough money to get a house of our own. Right."
The London surgeons did not cut off Kathryn's nose for a deal.
After Amsterdam, she returned briefly to Houston for the last time, gave one more interview to the Post and moved to Philadelphia for a year, where she spent several months parking cars in an attempt to learn the business of parking garages. She had thought she might buy one, but she never did.
And then she moved to Atlantic City and lived on the beach for a year.
"When you're a girl you got to try out your bikinis and your bathing suits and everything."
Kathryn ends almost every story, almost every sentence, with a giggle that threatens to get beyond her control, and often does. She likes to laugh.
She says she got engaged in Atlantic City, too, but that didn't work out either.
By the time Kathryn packed her bags for New Jersey, where she now lives, James had already been living in New York City for seven years.
"He had been in mime school in Minnesota or some place out there," Kathryn says, and he went to visit New York with a ticket she gave him as a graduation present, bought himself a suit of clothes at the local Goodwill, got a job as a host at a restaurant and never left. If he was going to make a run at the theater world, James had decided, he would have to be in New York.
"I thought that was ingenious," says Kathryn. " I still think it's great. I'm still proud of the way he moved to New York."
While James unraveled the secrets of the big city, Kathryn continued trying to weave a normal life as a woman.
There was so much to learn.
"You have to learn the body language: how to act, how to walk. The first time I ever douched I thought I was gonna die."
For the record, Kathryn says it was Houston television personality Jan Glenn who taught her how to douche.
"Guys can sit like this," she says, stretching an elbow over the seat back in a masculine version of the come-hither pose. "You don't see me sitting like this. You don't spit."
"And the multiple orgasms are great. You can't imagine. It comes from way up inside of you."
Again for the record, Kathryn learned about multiple orgasm from the plastic rod she had to insert into her neovagina daily for five months after the operation to "keep the hole from collapsing."
"So maybe three weeks after the operation, I'm feeling pretty good, getting a little sexually aroused, and -- I never will forget that as long as I live -- I had this plastic thing up in me, and I thought, I wonder what would happen if I moved it back and forth a little bit? And all of a sudden [I got] this burning sensation in my stomach; I said, Gawd, it shot up, my face felt like it was on fire, Gawd" -- there's more than a little Meg Ryan in this scene -- "and then after that I did three or four or five at a time. It just keeps getting better and better and better.
"You have to remember," says Kathryn, explaining how different life has become, "Charles was always busy. He worked hard. Kathryn don't work so hard. It's just kind of nice not to do nothing but sit there and do what I was doing. Instead of worried about whether 5,000 tons of stabilized sand is going out today, or whether it's gonna rain and I'm gonna lose this highway out here tonight."
She lives a quieter life in New Jersey now, she says, in a two-bedroom apartment with an eat-in kitchen and a living room and a landlord who pays for heat and water. It's not much, she says, but then she doesn't pay a lot for it, and though she's coy about her income -- she has worked only sporadically since leaving Houston -- she'll allow as to how there are advantages to a modest life.
"If you're just a working-class girl, there's lots more guys in the working-class people."
She's dating one at the moment, she says, on-again, off-again for about six months. He has never heard of Charlie McGuire. Neither has anyone else in her small Jersey community. Kathryn says she doesn't plan to tell him, unless they should decide to get married. In that case, she would feel obligated.
"I don't know how, but I guess I'll figure it out. I always seem to figure out everything else."
As she did with James, Kathryn may have to tell her man before he hears it on the street.
The tabloid The Sun has already expressed interest in doing a story. The BBC is in town as well, having come to New York to film a documentary about how off-Broadway plays get produced, and having stumbled into this instead. She told the BBC people she was just visiting in Jersey, that she lived in Atlanta.
For the time being, though, her favorite entry in a scrapbook filled with press clippings is a recently published small-town Jersey newspaper. There, on page 2, over a grainy black-and-white photo of Kathryn at a market stall, weighing a tomato in each hand, are the words "Tomato Lady." Beneath the picture, the caption reads, "Kathryn McGuire debates her choices."
That's it. No Charles/Kathryn. No transsexual. No millionaire socialite. Just Kathryn McGuire, Tomato Lady.
"Can you believe that?" Kathryn beams. "Tomato Lady."
"I don't know how anybody in that community could not know my dad's a transsexual. Anyone under the age of 75 without Alzheimer's disease.... Maybe that's where I'm on the inside looking out. Maybe my dad does look a lot like a woman. To me, he looks like my dad in drag."
If Kathryn's apartment is a bit tattered around the edges, James's near-Harlem Upper West Side place, which he shares with a female roommate, is all right angles. As I enter, I step across a throw rug, and before I can sit down on the wood-slatted futon couch, he's straightening the rug after me.
It was two years ago, after a traumatic breakup, that James began writing about his father and about his life with his father.
"I wrote a little blurb just about my father. I think I was in a standup comedy class. And people were like, 'oh, my God, that's so funny that that's your father.' They couldn't get enough of it. So, I just kept writing and writing and writing, and it turned into this."
It wasn't the first time James had worked with transvestite material. Starting last year he began working on the side at the Jane Street Theater, home to Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a play about a transvestite's spiritual journey. Last time James's mother visited him in the city, he took her to see a performance. She was not amused.
"Mark Twain said humor is the darker side of pain," says James. "Which, like, totally makes sense to me.
"Dad can be, how shall I say... He's very big. He's a very big person. And I'm not making this comparison, but I do remember Maya Angelou's son was doing an interview for a documentary, and he said something like, 'oh, she can be such a powerful woman, and she can so press her needs on how my life should be,' and I thought, God, that's so true with me and my relationship with my father. And I really had to find what James finds important. And that took a long time. It took about eight, nine good years. My dad wanted me to be an actor superstar. Just conquer the theater world from a business standpoint. It didn't matter about process, or art, or any of those things. And I really had to find my own ideas, my own thing. But I think a lot of people go through that in their 20s."
But while most sons have to come to terms with their fathers' desire that they follow in their footsteps, most don't have to come to terms with those steps being taken in three-inch heels.
"It's kind of fun actually to be in drag," says James, who got his cross-dressing experience in acting classes. "But I still don't think I can deal, like even for Halloween. It can be so cheeky and so campy, which is fine, but even if I go to, like, the drag shows here in New York, I really have to gear myself up for it. And usually that night I'll have a weird nightmare about a drag queen or something. I'm sure that's probably as a result of Dad."
Also as a result of Dad, James has had to think about what happened. About what would lead a man to surgery to leave his life behind.
"I think a lot of what happened with my father, he'd been dressing as a woman for years, all his life, and when he became Kathryn he was a very public figure, very much into society balls, very much into the Houston social scene. But it was this stage presence, it was sort of like this social theatricality going on. If you try to put something that's on stage, or a work of art, into a real life, into a real existence, into somebody that's got to go to work, to function in a normal society, it never can work.
"That's why I think theater is so important. Because you can separate that. Even though it does seem to mirror real life, it's always a work of art. There's always a difference between that and your real existence of paying the rent.
"I don't think Dad separated those two things, and I think that's why he had the sex-change operation. He tried to incorporate that stage thing into his real life, and it's never going to work. And that's what he's still trying to figure out. 'Can I make this work?' And he realized, 'no, I can't. I've got to start completely over and become a woman.' "
And does James see Kathryn as successful in her quest to become just a normal woman living a normal life in Jersey?
"Not yet. I don't know if she ever will be. I think it would have to be society that would have to change."
It's opening night.The place is called HERE, a performance art space/gallery/cafe straddling the border between TriBeCa and SoHo. Kathryn wears a red dress with black collars at the wrists and neckline, translucent hose, a diamond bracelet and three-inch heels. The outfit is simultaneously sensible and glamorous, and Kathryn is clearly the star of the party.
James and the other actors are preparing in a room behind the 70-seat black box theater. Director Janet Bogardus is doing a director's preshow job, denying assorted photographers access to the actors, protecting their preshow "head space."
One photographer asks if he can get just one shot, of James and Kathryn together, before the show.
"Oh, no, it wouldn't be good at all for James to see his father before the show."
In the cafe, a relatively obvious transvestite, also decked out in red, corners Kathryn and says he's just there to "make sure we don't give TVs a bad name."
The BBC crew mills about with boom mikes and cameras and release forms to be signed by anyone who might wander into the viewfinder.
Inside the black box, without fanfare or even introduction, the lights go down and the strains of "Waltz Across Texas" fill the room, and Daddy Kathryn proceeds.
The play is an interspersion of James's monologue and dramatic sketches illustrating high points of the well-worn story. Some dialogue is pulled directly from old Houston media coverage. Some is already familiar from the anecdotal archive that both James and Kathryn plunder in their individual interviews.
Kathryn, aware of being watched, smiles big smiles throughout, and never bigger than during the most potentially painful material: his daughter's disdain, James's successful stabs at humor at Kathryn's expense.
James's sister: "What's he look like? Does he really look like a woman?"
James: "He looks like a younger, big-handed, big-footed version of Grandmother McGuire."
There's a scene in which James brings home a boyfriend from college, and an onstage make-out session in which James is stripped to his briefs, before Robert English, playing Kathryn, comes home early and interrupts. Kathryn smiles through this scene, too, but the smile emerges through the tight lips of a suppressed grimace.
James recites a bit about how Kathryn tells "the same stories, over and over." The genuine smile returns.
The stage Kathryn is made to say, "I just want to have a normal life," and the audience erupts in laughter at the unlikelihood of this.
Mother McGuire is presented as a spooky, Hail Mary-saying, rosary-clutching religious freak. James had said that he asked her not to come because he was afraid the language might offend her.
James's sister, who is given a pseudonym in the script, is presented as an uncomprehending shrew. James had said she was simply too busy to come.
There's even a bit, set in Atlantic City, in which Kathryn keeps company with an Alzheimer's-stricken boyfriend.
When it's over, and James and company have taken their bows, the photographers rush in to do their work. A freelancer kneels near the footlights and documents the meeting of the real Kathryn McGuire and the still-wigged actor who just portrayed both him and her. On the bleachers in back, the BBC videographer documents the still photographer documenting the meeting of the real Kathryn McGuire and the wigged actor.
A man from the BBC asks Kathryn what she thinks of the play.
"Man," Kathryn replies, "that Daddy Kathryn was good."
She seems back in her element, at least back in one of her elements, enjoying the spotlight, rewarding the attention. She and James stand at the center of separate celebratory circles, holding their own inextricably intertwined courts.
It does not go unmentioned that this play, this retelling, might well drive Kathryn from the comfortable Jersey nest she has been padding these past three years. The publicity is bound to trickle down to Kathryn's community. Perhaps to her boyfriend. If it does?
We Believe Local Journalism is Critical to the Life of a City
Engaging with our readers is essential to the mission of the Houston Press. Make a financial contribution or sign up for a newsletter, and help us keep telling Houston's stories with no paywalls.
Support Our Journalism
"Well," says Kathryn, "I'll just go do it again someplace else. Wouldn't you sacrifice that for your son? To me it's just no choice. It's like I told him: I really don't want to do these interviews, but if it'll help the play, I'll do them."
Which answer goes back to an earlier question asked. How had their relationship survived the turmoil?
"Just the genes, I guess. I think his mother was strong. He's a strong person. His sister is a strong person. And I'm strong. And usually when you get strong people together it's a big fight, because everybody wants to be the leader.
"Well I relinquish. It's y'all's turn. Y'all lead. I been there.


text:
SUNY Canton Students Raise over $4,800 for Canton Fire DepartmentWednesday, October 15th, 2008
CHECK PRESENTATION – The SUNY Canton First Year Experience (FYE) program raised more than $4,800 for the Canton Volunteer Fire Department during their eight-hour relay on Sept. 27. The college has hosted the student-staffed relay fundraiser for four years and has annually contributed all donations to charitable life-saving organizations. Pictured are Chris Marquart, Men's Cross Country Coach and Assistant Director of Residence Life presenting a check from donations received from the event to Canton Volunteer Firefighter Michael Morgan while First Year Experience students applaud.
SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor's, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master's degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton's new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 100 courses online each semester. The college's athletic teams belong to the NAIA's Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.
Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.


text:
Dude, get outta here,I'm peeing.
It's just...
I don't know whatto do about Jimmy.
I'm starting to think hemight try and Jew me out of
my half of thefishsticks joke.
I just need youto teach me some
Jew defensive moves, Kyle.
Because we really bothdid come up with it.
You know what, Cartman ?
I believe you.
You do ?Yes.
I believe thatyou believe
you helpedwrite that joke.
That's how peoplelike you work.
Your ego isso out of whack
that it will do whateverit can to protect itself.
And people witha messed up ego
can do thesemental gymnastics
to convince themselvesthey're awesome
when really they'rejust douchebags.
But... I'm sure I helpedcome up with the joke...
Didn't I ?
Hey Jimmy,what's up, dawg ?
Oh hey Eric !
Just working onsome jokes.
That's cool, you wannawrite some together ?
Heym, that'd be great !
I've always wantedto work with you.
You're really funny andyou're totally not fat.
Cool, thanks,let's get to work.
Now let's see...
Something that'sa play on words.
I dunno... fishsticks.
You know, 'cuz dicks.
Hey, you're reallyonto something there !
Hello Eric,I have some chips
because you're totallynot fat at all.
Oh thank you,Mrs. Valmer.
Now let's see...
The setup could be"Do you like fishsticks ?"
Right, and thenI say 'yeah'
So then I can say'What are you a gay fish ?'
Oh wow this isincredible !
( Mrs. V. )What is that ?
It's a dragonof some kind !
Don't worryI can save you all !
Hughgh !!
Hey look, Erickilled a dragon !
He's the most awesomekid in school !
And he's notfat at all !
Thanks you guys !
No, I definitelyhelped write the joke.
All I can hope is Jimmydoesn't try to Jew me over.
And He's Not Fat At All
Fishsticks s13e05
Cartman writes an awesome joke and slays a dragon.


text:
Gijón Train Station Car Rental
33207 Gijon
Start a Reservation
Location Details
Enterprise Rent A Car, ESTAC. SANZ CRESPO.C/BOHEMIA, 33207 Gijon, ES
Location Services
After Hours Return
Key Facts & Policies
The price per additional driver will be 12.10 EUR (VAT included) per day, with a 10 day maximum at 120.00 EUR (VAT included). See Age Requirements for restrictions on car groups.
Minimum driver age for our vehicles is 21. Drivers aged 21 to 24 will incur a young driver fee of 12.50 EUR VAT included per day with a maximum fee of 125 EUR VAT included per rental. The following vehicle groups require the driver to be 25 - Premium, Luxury, Special, Convertibles, SUV's, 7 passenger and up Vans, Medium size and larger Commercial Vans. There is no maximum age limit subject to the driving license expiration and license requirements. For rentals in the Canary Islands, drivers must be at least 22 years old and have a minimum 2 year issue date of driver's license for all car groups.
Vehicles can be driven in Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar without the need for additional coverage. Vehicles can also be driven in Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco and Switzerland (not in other countries) with the payment of a Cross Border Fee. The cost of Cross Border Fee will be of 55.00 EUR (VAT included) and it is acquired at the counter. In all cases, customers MUST inform at the counter of their intention to leave Spain with the vehicle and require the authorization of Enterprise to do so.
Damage Waiver reduces your liability if the vehicle is damaged or stolen and may be included in your rate. If it is not included then it is available to purchase, but you may wish to check if your personal coverage is adequate to cover damage, theft, loss of revenue, administration fees, diminishment of value and any towing, storage or impound fees. If you decline Damage Waiver then you must pay these charges and seek compensation from your carrier. Damage Waiver is not insurance. The following excesses apply; 1050.00 EUR small vans, mini, economy and compact; 1250.00 EUR medium vans, compact elite, compact hybrid, intermediate and standard; 1500.00 EUR large vans, compact convertible, 4x4, full size, luxury and premium. Purchasing Damage Waiver on its own will only reduce your liability, if you need to reduce your excess to zero you must also purchase Excess Protection.
If you wish to discuss or dispute any matters concerning damage to your rental vehicle then please contact the Rental Company using the contact information below: email@example.com , +34 917821011
All rentals where the vehicle is not returned to the same location as it is collected from will be subject to a one way fee. The one way fee varies based on car category, location and pick up date. The exact amount of the one way fee will be displayed during the reservation process when entering the dates, desired route and car category. One way rentals are allowed within mainland Spain only.
Excess Protection is an optional product available only if Damage Waiver is included in your rate that reduces any applicable Damage Waiver excess (see Damage Waiver terms). Excess Protection reduces your excess on all vehicles to zero. Excess Protection is not insurance and before purchasing you may wish to check if your personal coverage is adequate to cover damage, theft, loss of revenue, administration fees, diminishment of value and any towing, storage or impound fees. If you decline Excess Protection then you are required to pay any applicable Damage Waiver excess and seek compensation from your carrier.
Your vehicle will be provided with a full fuel tank at the start of your rental. You are responsible for returning the vehicle with a full fuel tank. If the vehicle is returned with less fuel you will be required to pay for the fuel needed to return the fuel level to full at the per liter rate stated on your rental agreement plus a refueling charge of 18.00 EUR.
Optional fuel policies are available at participating locations.
Personal Accident Insurance/Personal Effects Coverage (PAI/PEC) is offered for an additional daily charge. PAI/PEC provides the renter and renter's passengers with accidental death benefits, injury expense benefits and insures the personal effects of the renter and passengers while they travel. This is a summary only. The purchase of PAI/PEC is optional and not required to rent a car. The coverage provided by PAI/PEC may duplicate your existing coverage and you may wish to determine if your personal coverage is adequate. The provision of PAI/PEC cannot extend beyond a period where the total charges to you exceed €200 and is conditional on your compliance with the terms and conditions of the rental agreement.
All major debit and credit cards are accepted. All cards presented must be in the renter's name. A security deposit plus the estimated cost of the rental will be taken at the time of rental. For the car categories Mini to Standard a deposit of 150 EUR is required. For vehicles bigger than Standard size as well as passenger and cargo vans the deposit is 400 EUR and must be paid via credit card. Cash payments may be allowed but the deposit must be paid via debit or credit card and the deposit will be a minimum of 500 EUR. Please contact the local branch for details.
National offers Roadside Assistance Protection. Roadside Assistance Protection allows National customers to waive all financial responsibility for the following - tyre (excluding the rim) replacement costs, except when part of a larger repair, replacement keys costs and all recovery and call charges imposed by our chosen roadside assistance providers as aresult of a fault caused by renter error. Roadside Assistance Protection does not exempt you from these charges if there is any breach of our rental agreement. Roadside Assistance Protection is an optional product; before purchasing you may wish to check if your personal coverage is adequate. If you decline RAP then you will be required to pay any applicable charges and see compensation from your carrier. RAP is not insurance.
All drivers must present a full valid driving license. If the driving license is written in a language and characters different to those of the country of rental, an International Driving Permit is also required. Renters are advised to check whether local authorities require foreign drivers to present an International Driving Permit to avoid the risk of potential fines. Renters with licenses from countries who are not part of the International Driving Permit Agreement should carry a certified translation.
All renters must provide a valid identity card or passport. All drivers must have held their full license for a minimum of 1 year. When renting a Premium or Luxury Convertible, Elite or SUV vehicle, renters must have additional verified contact information such as employment details, telephone numbers and proof of Spanish residency. If visiting Spain, renters must provide proof of accommodation, local and home country contact information such as employment details and return travel. These vehicles cannot be booked with less than 24-hour notice.
Please note that we reserve the right to request additional ID or conduct further identification checks if needed which may include an identity check with an external organization.
Upon the United Kingdom leaving the European Union (EU) the requirements for UK Driving license holders driving in EU member states may change. Please check requirements before travelling. Government advice may be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-to-drive-in-the-eu-after-brexit
Third party liability insurance is mandatory and covers the driver and the owner for third party claims against him/her for damage caused by the hire vehicle. Third party insurance is included in the rate. Cover is limited to 135 million euros.
Enterprise is temporarily consolidating its Spain branches. A representative will contact you prior to your scheduled date and time and confirm your details and rental location. If you have any questions, please call 985154100.


text:
The report, Toward a Green Economy, was issued by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on February 21. The accompanying press release offered a mixture of fear and high finance, bemoaning the plight of the world's poorest citizens, while insisting that their economic woes could not be alleviated by means which would increase the damage which development inflicts on the environment. In the zero sum economics which have long plagued the thinking of the radical wing of the environmentalist movement, this means wealth must be shifted from the developed world to the undeveloped world. In the words of the press release:
Investing two per cent of global GDP into ten key sectors can kick-start a transition towards a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy a new report launched today says.
The sum, currently amounting to an average of around $1.3 trillion a year and backed by forward-looking national and international policies, would grow the global economy at around the same rate if not higher than those forecast, under current economic models. But without rising risks, shocks, scarcities and crises increasingly inherent in the existing, resource-depleting, high carbon 'brown' economy, says the study.
As such, it comprehensively challenges the myth of a trade off between environmental investments and economic growth and instead points to a current "gross misallocation of capital."
Note that the "current" level would be an average of "around $1.3 trillion a year" or "two per cent of global GDP"; in keeping with the usual distribution of such costs, the burden will rest on the developed world. Apparently that current "gross misallocation of capital" can be found in your home, your car and — in general— your bank account; and that "gross misallocation" needs to be corrected or (in keeping with the shopworn screed of the Eco-Left) the planet will burn.
However, as stunning as a $1.3 trillion per year redistribution of wealth would be, the actual number which the UN may seek to impose could be much higher; as noted by the Associated Press, the "investments" could actually be as high as "$2.59 trillion per year" to "make the world's economy environmentally sustainable."
The UNEP's "Synthesis for Policy Makers" explains that the problem of such "gross misallocation of capital" has developed because capitalism has the wrong priorities:
Existing policies and market incentives have contributed to this problem of capital misallocation because they allow businesses to run up significant social and environmental externalities, largely unaccounted for and unchecked. "Unfettered markets are not meant to solve social problems" so there is a need for better public policies, including pricing and regulatory measures, to change the perverse market incentives that drive this capital misallocation and ignore social and environmental externalities.
Now, if the UNEP has its way, "pricing and regulatory measures" will apparently have an expanded role in changing "perverse" (i.e., profitable) market incentives. The UNEP's "Synthesis" promotes manipulating the tax structure to force funding to flow to serve its agenda: "Taxes and other market-based instruments can be used to stimulate the necessary investment and innovation for funding the transition."
But a market is no longer free when artificial "incentives" and "disincentives" are created to herd investment in directions which would normally be irrational from the standpoint of economics. Funds appropriated through taxation and government-imposed systems of "carbon credits" create a make-believe world where the real costs and benefits of business decisions have been replaced by artificial costs and rewards.
Furthermore, the UNEP even rejects standard means of evaluating a nation's economic condition; in the words of the "Synthesis for Policy Makers": "Conventional economic indicators, such as GDP, provide a distorted lens for economic performance particularly since such measures fail to reflect the extent to which production and consumption activities may be drawing down natural capital." Of course, banishing the use of GDP from the lexicon of economics might make it a little easier to hide the crippling blow which the UNEP program would impose on the developed nations of the world.
International economic redistribution (termed "social equity") remains a fundamental aspect of a "green economy" in the vision of the UNEP; Socialism is the subtext of saving the planet. In the words of the "Synthesis for Policy Makers":
UNEP defines a green economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. [Emphasis in original.]
The two agendas — social equity and environmental risk — are inseparable in the U.N. agenda for the environment. "Social inclusivity" has little to do with addressing real world environmental problems, but it is a key, motivating principle for the UNEP's plans to use as much as $2.5 trillion a year to reshape the global economy order. Those individuals responsible for drafting the proposal appear to be intent on ignoring the shift in Western opinion regarding the purported science behind manmade "climate change"; they are counting on continuing to inculcate a sense of inevitability in their proposals. However, as became clear when the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen unraveled, the UN's "environmental" agenda is far from inevitable. An informed public can keep the pressure on their elected officials to stop the implementation of UNEP's redistributionist schemes.


text:
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
~ Jalal al-din Rumi
My grandfather used to cite a Yiddish proverb about guests. The English translation was something like, "Fish and guests begin to stink up the house after two weeks." I'd like to be able to openly welcome the guest of fear whenever it appears on my doorstep, but sometimes it seems like it takes over the "house" of my mind and I feel paralyzed by its power.


text:
A cautionary paper appeared on the arXiv last week
Forsyth, I., B. Mesland, and A. Rennie. Dense Domains, Symmetric Operators and Spectral Triples. ArXiv e-print, June 6, 2013. http://arxiv.org/abs/1306.1580.
The paper is about the definition of unbounded Fredholm modules and how certain, initially plausible, weakenings of the definition do not work as expected. (Some well-known authors are called out for insufficient attention to these points; I was initially worried that Analytic K-Homology appears in the bibliography, but I don't think Nigel and I are among the criminals here.)


text:
Submit a Claim Online
Or to speak to a representative, call:800-999-1030
We have a full line of products tailored to meet your needs coupled with programs specifically designed for teachers.
Find out why Horace Mann is right for you.
Horace Mann offers several convenient and easy payment options.
Have payments automatically deducted from your bank or credit union account on a recurring basis
Have your premium or contribution taken directly from your paycheck
Credit and debit card payments can be made 24/7 through your Horace Mann online account.
Credit, debit and check payments can be made Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Central Time.
Student loan forgiveness
Complete this form to receive your personal student loan analysis.
Find out if you qualify
Student Loan Solutions Workshop
Bring our workshop to your school. Learn how to manage student loan debt.
Request a workshop
One-on-one consultation
Get a complimentary review of your student loans.
Contact your local Horace Mann rep
Private loan solutions
Check if you can get a lower rate by privately refinancing in under 2 minutes.
Get my rate
Student Loan Forgiveness
Find out if you qualify
Student Loan Solutions Workshop
Request a workshop
One-on-one consultation
Contact your local rep
Private loan solutions
Get my rate
© 2017 Horace Mann Educators Corporation
CUSTOMER SERVICE Call 800-999-1030


text:
Ready to have some creative fun with learning Japanese? Start your journey now! Find lessons, drills, quizzes and a community of students ready to put you to the test!Start Learning Japanese Now
This list contains all words and kanji related to the JLPT N3 test. Official word and kanji lists are not available for these tests;...
This list excludes people, animals, plants, and places. .
い adjectives are the true Japanese adjectives. な adjectives are the pseudo-Japanese adjectives. Both are equally important to learn.


text:
Lil Wayne (Feat. Future & Drake) - B*tches Love Me [Audio]
Shout outs @DJEFEEZY on the premiere
Produced by @MikeWiLLMadeIt
Posted by @Worldstarvids
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We will, of course, have a feast on Thanksgiving Day, but the Silver Fox and I shared a more traditional meal with friends back in September. Knowing that an overseas assignment would keep them from celebrating at home, we decided to have a Pilgrim feast for them before they left. I packed the meal with old-fashioned favorites but gave each of the courses a slightly modern twist, and, because we were all dieting, I cut back on calories wherever I could. The star of the show was a large turkey breast that I decided to soak in a spiced apple cider brine. The brine produced a moist and nicely flavored bird that deserved the place of honor it was given at the table. I used a fresh turkey rather than one that had been injected with a solution that might make it too salty. As an added precaution, I rinsed the bird and then covered it with cold water and let it sit for about 15 minutes to assure that salts that might have accumulated on its surface were washed away. Because we like poultry with really crisp skin, I dried the bird and let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours before putting it in the oven. To heighten the apple flavor I worked a tablespoon of apple juice concentrate into the butter I used to coat the bird. If you also enjoy crisp skin, it is important not to baste the turkey once it goes into the oven. If you remove it from the oven when its internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, it will not be dry. At this time of year it's easy to find turkey parts that can be used to make a flavorful gravy well ahead of serving. I generally make a quart of gravy and add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of good apple cider to half of it, giving folks a choice of apple or a standard savory gravy from one simple preparation. I've never found Thanksgiving dinner hard to make, but it does require exquisite planning. The dinner I made for our friends was quite lovely and over the next few days I'll be sharing some of my favorite holiday recipes with you. I thought I'd start with the turkey. Here's how it's made.
4 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
4 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
Peel and juice of 1 orange
Peel and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
1 teaspoon whole allspice, coarsely cracked
1/2 gallon unsweetened apple cider, chilled (8 cups)
8 to 10-pound fresh turkey breast
1) Place water, salt, sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, crushed garlic, bay leaves, ginger, orange and lemon peel and their juices in a large saucepan. Coarsely crush peppercorns and allspice and add to ingredients in pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in apple cider and cool to room temperature. Submerge turkey in brine, adding additional water as need to cover. Chill for 12 to 24 hours.
2) Remove turkey from brine. Rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry. Transfer to a large baking pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, for several hours. This allows skin to dry and will allow it to crisp as it cooks.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer turkey to a heavy roasting pan. Cover skin with softened butter or olive oil. Add one cup of water to bottom of pan and place turkey in hot oven. Cooking time will vary depending on size of turkey breast. Check wrapper and cook according to weight. Roast until internal temperature at thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees F. Allow turkey to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
One Year Ago Today: Menemen and Breakfast in Turkey
Two Years Ago Today: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Three Years Ago Today: The Apple Lady Apple Cake


text:
Every week, I hope to bring you a quick Q&A with someone who covers the Ravens' opponent that week. On Sunday, the Ravens will take on the Dallas Cowboys at M&T Bank Stadium. Rainer Sabin covers the Cowboys for The Dallas Morning News, and he was kind enough to answer a few of questions heading into the game.
MV: Tony Romo wilted in the Monday night spotlight the last time we saw him, throwing five interceptions against the Chicago Bears, though they weren't all his fault. Do you expect Romo to bounce back against the Ravens, and how do you see the Cowboys attacking the Ravens defense?
RS: It's difficult to predict if he will be able to bounce back because it's impossible to forecast how the players around him will perform. In order to do well, Romo needs adequate protection, his receivers to catch the ball and a functional running game that will prevent defenses from attacking him at will. At times, he hasn't had any of the above.
To answer your second question, I think the Cowboys will try to rely on tailback DeMarco Murray at the outset. If they can get Murray going, then the offense stands a chance against Baltimore.
MV: The Ravens were interested in Dez Bryant when he came out in the draft two years ago. In your opinion, why hasn't he met expectations?
RS: For a number of reasons, Bryant hasn't developed into the superstar many thought he'd become. First and foremost, he isn't always disciplined. He tends to run sloppy routes and isn't always in the spot where he needs to be when the ball is thrown in his vicinity. He also has had problems with his stamina.
At times last season, he became more ineffective as the game progressed. The coaches say his endurance has improved this year. But at the same time his hands, which have been generally reliable, have failed him in 2012. He has four drops. Only four players in the NFL have more. This is Bryant's third season and he has yet to establish any consistency in his performance.
MV: The offseason additions of Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne appear to have transformed that secondary. The Cowboys are ranked first in pass defense, though the Bears had success against them. Is there any concern about them keeping tabs on Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin?
RS: Of course, there are concerns. Boldin and Smith are a potent receiver tandem and the Ravens lead the NFL with 26 completions of 20 yards are more. The Cowboys' secondary will be challenged. But Claiborne and Carr shouldn't be overwhelmed. After all, they held their own against the New York Giants' Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, who together made 10 receptions for 96 yards in Week 1. In total, Carr and Claiborne have allowed 16 completions on 29 passes thrown in their direction this season. They have fared pretty well.
MV: How helpful has this bye week been for the Cowboys from a health standpoint, and do you expect Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff to play?
RS: The bye week came at an opportune time. It does look like both Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff will play. That's a very positive development for the defense. Spencer, who missed the loss to the Bears with a strained pectoral muscle, leads the team in quarterback pressures with nine despite the fact he has played in only three games. Ratliff, meanwhile, is a four-time Pro Bowler who did not play in the first four games after suffering a high-ankle sprain Aug. 25. When he has been on the field, he has made a major impact. He often occupies multiple blockers, freeing up other defenders to make plays. He should provide inside linebackers Bruce Carter and Sean Lee with more opportunities.
MV: Jason Garrett was a candidate to be head coach of the Ravens in 2008 but he chose the Cowboys (the Ravens then hired John Harbaugh). In your opinion, has the hire worked out for the Cowboys, and will he be in any danger of losing his job if the Cowboys miss the playoffs again?
Latest Sports
RS: Up until this season, when the offense has regressed, it seemed the Cowboys were making incremental progress. Garrett has slowly changed the culture of the franchise. The controversial figures that used to crowd the Cowboys' locker room are no longer there. The organization has a more business-like approach. But they have yet to establish any consistency on the field under Garrett. That's disconcerting. However, even if they fail to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season, I don't think Garrett will lose his job. I think team owner Jerry Jones has a lot of faith in Garrett and wants to give him every opportunity to succeed.


text:
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Found 2 results[ Title]
Filters: Keyword is Cross-Sectional Studies and Author is Chen, Irene [Clear All Filters]
Factors associated with front row seating of children in motor vehicle crashes." Epidemiology. 2004;15(3):345-9."
Effects of seating position and appropriate restraint use on the risk of injury to children in motor vehicle crashes." Pediatrics. 2005;115(3):e305-9."


text:
My current project is making me see more and more that iterative development with constant input from the end users is the best way to have a successful outcome. Recently I was involved in a conference call with the end users and the business representatives. These representatives had given us all of our requirements and we had no direct contact with the people in the field. BIG MISTAKE!
This was compounded by the fact that the client is following a very waterfall approach with tons of documentation. Throw in the fact that they are not willing to re-evaluate time-lines and resources after phases in the process and all you can do is bring on the antacids.
Now I am not running to throw out all of the documentation and screaming for anarchy. In my opinion the best approach seems to be to get a well define list of the high level goals of the project. From there break it into digestible chunks. After each piece is delivered re-evaluate what should be worked on next. Most importantly, get user feedback early and often.
Ok, so it sounds like Scrum. Maybe it is. If it works, use it. Keep it simple and usable. As always other opinions are welcome.
Rocky Lhotka visited the Downers Grove Microsoft office this evening to present to a packed (around 170 people) CNUG meeting. He presented as comprehensive a coverage of CSLA.NET 2.0 as could be done in two hours.
In that time he covered much of the same material as he did on dnrTV, except that in this format you have the opportunity to pick his brain. One topic that the group seemed to have an interest in is data driven authorization as he was asked it by a couple of people. Rocky explained it is the fact that different people do authorization in different ways. That is why he implemented the authorization and business rules as methods rather than attributes.
The nice thing about Rocky is that he doesn't hide the warts on .NET or even his own code. He talked about disappointment with the ObjectDataSource but had huge praise for the way WinForms object binding works in .NET 2.0.
There were a couple times where people asked questions about the way his framework was designed, such as why DataPortal_Fetch is private and isn't overridden. I think every time he was able to say that he had tried the alternatives and while his way may not be perfect that is the way he decided was best for him.
I think what I like best about his framework is that it demonstrates a many good object oriented concepts but remains flexible enough to work in most situation. There is no way I could do his presentation justice. I will just say that if you get a chance to see Rocky in this type of setting don't pass it up.
We have been having prolonged adventures with this wonderful data type on my current project. We are storing XML data in a CLOB field. In the beginning we used the Oracle ODP.NET provider. When we got into performance testing we found that saving this data killed our performance. A couple of the developers did some testing and found that the Microsoft Oracle provider worked at least an order of magnitude better. I was a little skeptical about moving to the Microsoft provider because I remembered that certain database condition weren't reported very well, but time lines always win.
A short time later the client got a response from Oracle saying we should use a VarChar parameter to send data to a CLOB in the database. We did some testing and it did perform well, but we figured we had changed enough data access code at this point that we would wait until a maintenance release to consider performing the change.
The system went into pilot and suddenly we started getting failures to insert into the table. Again the developers did some research and found that any data over 32K would cause this condition.
The solution? Go back to Oracle's suggestion.
The moral? Take your medicine now. It taste worse if you wait.
Tim is a Solutions Architect for PSC Group, LLC. He has been an IT consultant since 1999 specializing in Microsoft technologies. Along with running the Chicago Information Technology Architects Group and speaking on Microsoft and architecture topics he was also contributing author on "The Definitive Guide to the Microsoft Enterprise Library".


text:
Former HBOS CEO Offers to Return Knighthood
James Crosby has offered to return his knighthood and forgo one-third of his annual pension after a scathing report on his performance from a parliamentary committee. Heard on the Street's Simon Nixon looks at whether this is enough.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the the ... the CEO ... last ... fall ... soul ... his exit from the clean ... and get him one ... of these things ... on the Street's Simon Nixon on its head to look at this ... James calls Hill said James calls via the website this ... is only done this because a parliamentary committee has ... it's it's speeding buses performance ... yes we're babysitting isn't it's been fine on two years since the fund request straw that ... finally the UK is talking to ... get serious about McCain's will really went wrong ... those as well as new was responsible um ... the of this bean since the ... crisis tossed it in two thousandseven and has been ... various um not Rudy focused inquiry's and barrister from its buses ... which is you know the results which beat space heater that ... the establishment of the top of the city of Mumbai get away pretty much all three of the last five years with the sole exception ... oh for could win the role bikes Goldman's but ... it's it's a was a was a shortage this committee which was set up in response to light posts counsel ... is only now starting to really look into some these other I think this is the city has been a spouse's takeover in two thousand and eight ... by Lloyds and still cost one of the government's lead to help Lloyds swallow losses in up to ... twenty million pounds of that that's that's been ... there wasn't a softer still below its US ... unit and so it but the view that the new but it was one of a number of UK front pages around that time and to ... the cinema these things none of them with the reading of the investigation ... of course I measles is designed to business ... well he's all for this uptrend is my hood back which is ... just what different save me maybe ... maybe can be a bowing to put it this is inevitable because Fred Goodwin ... of people much attention from installment Productions stripped of his might but by the full ... committee which is actually over predicts Tory press incessant Saunders The never ... really been done before ... yes sir it but I'm not too what's the what's happening now is the last ... century ... I he's pitching a new person there ... of operate on the back of a deal I wonder how many factors in the future of the ... what so willing to accept his targets in the bus but it's ... okay so ... uses light to ... do so but that is as a means test was already at five ... eighteen thousand a year it isn't yet is an almost all monies contractual and ... that it is for contractual entitlements ... ends up because of the way in which these banks were a ... um well well well ... by the Schlein sold the way were still pale bouts ... of course they would have actually the Barnes Noble went so ... when presented with up to fail that would have the results and they see is that the ... typical ... jaw can ... and do the big banks to maintain as going concerns an apple contract went on for months just carried on ... hands and again it was my mechanism in the UK ... to try and tackle what that what is quite committing an extraordinary situation where I was is up with us Top the Bill prices will ease up ... on this estate was up but didn't ... vomit the CEO of of yes but um ... but what about the other spouse into his intentions for college sports in the assault that trading ... can expect all of this ... well that I think they're from the LSE was extort me is that the ... partial social force in U K Records ... as Washington a few weeks so last week ... I'm ... actually did its own inquiry into the initial inquiry into ... HBO's at a far too but didn't find one boasts of ... a pizza coming soon the head of the corporate division one hundred thousand cars ... and singled him out ... and make blue and and and ... had no reception ... the gains which Edmonton ... boasting some of James' post the before pictures of the whole day ... so up in one post was similar to the department she quite focus was complete Ipsos ... it's another week huge pressure on and it will be handled Stevenson ... to get back some of their pensions ... as well ... um ... but but I think that what's really suggests that this is again this is still its overtreated swung back by one by ... there's still nothing really any conclusion the kind of thing that's waay ... in the UK this thank a bashing this answer but it is actually getting ... your good what's is the isthe LyondellBasell back she hasn't yet being the so the cliche ... when suddenly the sanctions is assuming nothing ... the midpoint of the month of ... having the friends of the two thousand and eight that have designs on them ... by the computer with us ... this semester that is a young singers movie filmmakers and to top this was his opponent inquiry has identified this as ... the best Katie something very wrong with the whole UK Rick framework ... but that hasn't been any way of holding people's faults with some of the city's us over the mortgage on glow in the system ... is that if he should be or near historic lows of the few minutes to be stirred up ... there I'll do it all you pay a price ... I'm not I'm one of us of one of the things that this baby going ... when Roman assesses the people who will pay the price of what's fueling public anger ... and I think that what we will see ... this um I think we will ... see more ... public scrutiny of some of individuals even this long


text:
With the above set of PISANKI, or what you call here in the U.S. EASTER EGGS, I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday filled with too much food, never enough laughter, and monkey tricks with your friends and other kids in the family.
I haven't made pisanki in maybe two decades, and so I had a lot of fun boiling the eggs first in a pot filled with water and lots of onion skins (for the color). Then I looked around the house for a sharp tool to etch the pattern (my meat thermometer did the trick) on my Easter Eggs. To finish the job, I needed to find a little basket lined with a white, crocheted napkin. The closest to such a thing in this household were my Halloween panties I wore once with my Naughty Santa Helper outfit about three years ago. I'm glad I've found a use for them one more time.
I bet you're thinking of my Panty Christmas Tree, aren't you? Yes, my panties are quite versatile and flexible, and poses an artistic inkling.
Happy Easter Everybody! A basket of love and fuzzy thoughts to you 🙂 I'm going to eat my eggs now.


text:
All The Vinyasa Yoga Poses You Need To Know About
Vinyasa yoga is as good for your body as it is for your mind. You know that blissed-out feeling you get when you bust out some of your favorite vinyasa yoga poses and find your flow? Well, I want you to be able to tap into that magic at home and on the go—not just when you're taking class at your favorite studio. I pulled together a few of my favorite vinyasa yoga poses and benefits. Read on, and get inspired to bust out some moves.
1. Child's pose
To get into it, come to all fours. Click your big toes together, and walk your knees out wide. Sink your hips back toward your heels, and drop your head down into the mat. Lengthen your arms out in front of you, palms facing down.
Take it deeper by connecting with the natural rhythm of your breath. Every time you exhale, can you release tension? Allow the hips to descend a little farther toward your heels. Let your belly soften and find space between your back teeth so you're not clenching your jaw. Let your head and arms be heavy.
The benefits of this calming posture include alleviating stress and reducing tension in the back, shoulders, and neck. It's also an amazing way to gently stretch hips. If I don't have time to do a full vinyasa yoga flow, I at least spend a few minutes breathing in child's pose.
2. Cat-cow pose
To get into it, come to an all-fours position so your shoulders are stacked over your wrists and your hips are over your knees. Push the tops of your feet and shins into the mat to lift your low belly and lengthen your low back.
From here, inhale and lift your tailbone and shine your heart forward for cow pose. Exhale. Scoop your belly, puff up the space between your shoulder blades, and tuck your chin for cat.
If you practice vinyasa yoga regularly, I'm guessing you've done this posture hundreds—if not thousands—of times before. Cat-cow pose is featured in almost every vinyasa yoga class. But if you rush through it, you'll miss the magic. Focus on lengthening your heart forward and pulling your tailbone back as you find cow pose. The counteraction of reaching your heart and tailbone away from each other will help you maintain a stronger connection with your core and also help you avoid dumping into your low back. In cat pose, can you allow the movement to initiate from your tailbone, so you're hugging in the area between your pubic bone and navel as you scoop your belly? When you do this, you'll soak in all the benefits this vinyasa yoga pose has to offer.
Cat-cow pose connects your movement from your breath and helps you be more physically present in your body. It's also a gentle way to strengthen your core and increase spinal mobility.
3. Downward-facing dog
Starting on all fours, inhale and curl your toes. Exhale lift your hips high to the sky and extend your legs. To take it deeper, root your palms firmly into the mat. Firm your upper arms in and have the intention of wrapping your shoulder blades around your armpits to feel the strength in your mid back. Draw your chest closer toward your thighs, tuck your low belly in toward your spine, and bend your knees as much as you need to so you're not forcing it. Lower your heels down toward the mat.
Here's a fun variation to shake up this classic vinyasa yoga pose: Inhale lift your heels. Exhale drop your heels over to the right but keep your hips lifted high and your palms grounding down. When you do this, you'll feel a stretch through the left side of your body. Hold here for three to five breaths and imagine that you can find space between your ribs. Repeat on the other side.
Downward-facing dog is one of the key vinyasa yoga poses—and that's for good reason. Grounding and energizing, it opens up the areas where we get tight: the shoulders, hamstrings, and calves. It's also incredibly strengthening for the arms, back, core, and legs.
4. Forward fold
To get into it from downward-facing dog, inhale and bend your knees deeply. At the end of your exhale, take a giant step to the top of your mat for forward fold. Keep your feet hip-distance apart and parallel. Drape your upper body over your thighs. Reach your fingertips toward the floor.
Take it deeper by bringing your weight into the balls of your feet. Bend your knees as much as you need to. And this next tip might surprise you—because this aspect of forward fold isn't discussed a lot in vinyasa yoga—but draw your belly in tight as you bring it closer to your thighs. You want your core to be turned on and active. Once you feel strong in your core, allow the tension in your upper body to melt away. Take five long, slow, deep breaths.
To add some movement, inhale and lift halfway up. Actively press your hands into your shins and reach the crown of your head and tailbone away from each other. On your exhale, fold forward a little farther, deepening the stretch in your hamstrings and releasing muscles in your low back. Forward fold opens up the hamstrings without putting pressure on your wrists, shoulders, or neck. It also relieves stress and calms the nervous system.
5. Mountain pose
To get into it, inhale and push your feet actively into the mat and roll all the way up to standing as you sweep your arms up overhead. Bring your palms to face each other, spread your toes, and press all four corners of your feet into the floor. Lift your kneecaps so your quads are engaged. Allow your tailbone to be heavy as you zip up through your low belly. Knit your ribs in as your shoulders relax down your back. Energetically reach your fingertips high to the sky.
A major vinyasa yoga benefit is improving posture, and that's what mountain pose is all about: training the body to be tall. Mountain pose reinforces a long, neutral spine and a strong core.
6. Plank pose
Get into from mountain pose by exhaling and swan diving into forward fold. Inhale, halfway lift, and bring your palms to your shins and gaze down at your mat. Exhale, plank pose. Plant your hands shoulder-distance apart on your mat, and step your feet back.
This grounded posture is key to nailing your vinyasa yoga flow. Root the base of your index finger and thumb into the floor, soften your elbows, and firm your upper arms in. Shine your heart forward as your shoulders drop down toward your hips. Scoop your low belly to lengthen your low back and lift your hamstrings toward the sky so you're energetic through your legs.
Add some movement by keeping your flow going with a low plank/chaturanga. Inhale, glide your body forward so your shoulders are over your wrists and you're on the tips of your toes. Exhale, come halfway down for low plank.
The benefits of plank pose include working your entire body all at once. If you're paying attention to the details, you'll feel this in your arms, shoulders, back, abs, glutes, and legs. Like mountain pose, plank is a vinyasa yoga pose known for improving posture and training the body tall.
7. Upward-facing dog
From low plank, inhale, flip your feet, and press the tops of your feet into the mat. Extend your arms straight and long, and stack your wrists, elbows, and shoulders in one line. Keep your hips, thighs, and knees lifted off your mat.
Take it deeper: Press firmly into your hands, and, without moving your palms, energetically drive them away from each other. This action in the body creates more space and allows you to open your heart a little more. Gently draw your shoulder blades toward each other as you hug your low belly in and firm through your glutes to protect your back. Stay here for a breath or two before pulling back into downward-facing dog.
The benefits of this vinyasa yoga pose include opening up the chest and strengthening the arms, shoulders, and abs.
8. Low lunge with a twist
Get into this from downward-facing dog by stepping your right foot forward between your hands for a low lunge. Breathe in, drop your left knee to your mat, and sweep your arms high to the sky for low lunge.
To take it deeper, press your front foot, your back shin, and the top of your back foot into the mat and—without moving—energetically drive them away from each other. This will create a stronger, more stable foundation and help you balance.
To add movement, exhale, thread your right arm back behind you to twist. Keep your hip bones facing forward. Every time you breathe in, can you imagine that you're finding more length in your spine? As you breathe out, rotate and twist deeper.
The benefits of this yoga pose are endless—I love to do it after I've been sitting for a long time. It's an amazing way to reduce tension in the hips, plus it stretches and lengthens the hamstrings and quads—two areas that frequently get stiff.
9. Halfway split
Start in low lunge with your right foot forward. Exhale, extend your right leg long and sweep your arms back behind you.
To take it deeper, dig your right heel into your mat, then drag your right hip back to deepen the stretch. Instead of focusing on drawing your belly closer to your thighs, keep your chest lifted and gently squeeze your shoulder blades toward one another as you shine your heart open.
The benefits of this pose are especially great for the hamstrings. Just keep breathing through it! If you notice that you're feeling shaky and your balance is off, firm your inner thighs toward each other and draw your waist in a little more to stay steady. I love halfway split, not only because of the physical benefits but also because it is a great pose to increase your mental focus. If you aren't present in this posture, you might fall over.
10. Crescent pose
Get into it from halfway split, then inhale. Curl your back left toes and glide your body forward and up into a high crescent lunge. Your feet are hip-width apart, parallel. Your front knee is over your ankle. Your back leg is long. Your arms are reaching up overhead.
Take it deeper: Root your feet firmly. Hug your inner thighs toward each other as you drag your right hip back and down slightly. The goal is for your hips to be level and square. Your entire core is hugging in. Your shoulders are relaxed away from your ears. Hold steady and strong for 10 breaths each side.
Add some movement: Exhale, lean and fly forward. Reach your belly toward your thighs as your arms stretch out behind you. Inhale, lift up tall, shoulders over your hips. Repeat three times on each side.
Take it deeper by layering on movement, notice whether your body wants to stay a little longer in any position. If you're craving staying somewhere for another breath or two, let it happen. This is your time to slow down and give your body what it needs. Go back and repeat poses 8, 9, and 10 on the other side of your body so you're balanced. Finish with the breath focused on meditation below.
11. Easy pose
Set this up by taking an easy, cross-legged position. Let your hands rest on your knees. With your sitz bones grounding down, have the intention to draw your belly button back toward your spine and up underneath your rib cage. Shoulders are relaxed, stacked over the hips. Take it deeper by practicing a simple breath-focused meditation to close out your vinyasa yoga practice.
Start by gently guiding your attention to your breath. Feel your breath go in and out. You're not trying to get anywhere; you're not trying to change anything. Your only job is to sit and breathe. Be a curious observer. Now, start to notice the qualities of your breath. Your breath may be shaky or smooth, shallow or deep, warm or cool. Whatever you notice, let the breath be exactly how it is.
As you sit here and breathe, you may start to notice thoughts wandering in and guiding your attention away from the breath. When that happens, that's perfectly fine. The goal of meditation is not to clear your mind of thoughts. Simply notice the distraction and gently guide your attention back to the ebb and flow, the wavelike rhythm of your breath. Try this for 3 minutes, and work your way up to 10.
Want your passion for wellness to change the world? Become A Functional Nutrition Coach! Enroll today to join our upcoming live office hours.