text:
Our patent attorneys have over 30 years of experience in both utility patents, which cover functional aspects of inventions, and design patents, which cover ornamental design, or visual appearance, of articles of manufacture.
Regarding utility patents, our attorneys have a wealth of experience in patents in the electrical arts, including computer software and business method arts, the mechanical arts, and the chemical arts.
Our patent services include:
Acquiring and Maintaining Patents
- Preparing confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary development of inventions.
- Undertaking searches of the prior art, to see if obtaining a patent would be likely ("novelty" search).
- Filing and prosecuting regular U.S. patent applications, including utility, design and business method applications.
- Preparing and filing provisional U.S. patent applications.
- Filing and prosecuting international patent applications in foreign countries, and under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
- Undertaking post-registration procedures such as payment of annuities/maintenance fees around the world.
Enforcement & Defense of Patents
- Preparing opinions on whether your product infringes a competitor's patent.
- Preparing opinions on the validity of a competitor's patent, after conducting a search of the prior art to see if the patent lacks novelty.
- Advising and representing clients on patent infringement litigation.
Licensing & Agreements
- Preparing patent license agreements.
- Preparing technology transfer agreements.


text:
Thank you, Sachin, for all the years we secretly woke up to watch matches in Australia, for the years we stayed late watching you bat in the Caribbean. For the all the times we switched off our TV when you were declared out, because we cared less about the team's chances than about your performances. Not that the two were very disconnected. Thank you for your batsmanship, for standing up to the world's best fast bowlers, spinners and for your cliched lines at so many presentation ceremonies. "It's the team that matters", you've said. It did, it does. But not every die-hard fan of you always thought like that. Your poetry mattered, your ability to whoop ass mattered, your centuries mattered, your records mattered.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, thank you for being a huge part of my generation's childhood. Fare thee well, old man.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Friday, May 10, 2013
Light and Cheesy Bean Dip
8 oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup fat free sour cream
16 oz can of fat free refried beans
1 tablespoon green chilies
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup salsa
4 oz of reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1.Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream and mix until combined. Spread the mixture across the bottom of a 9" glass pie plate.
3 In another bowl, combine the beans, chilies, cumin, chili powder and salt and stir until well combined. Spread the bean mixture over top of the cream cheese layer in the pie plate. Spread the salsa over top of the bean layer and then sprinkle the cheese across the top.
4. Bake for 30 minutes and serve immediately.
Yields 12 (1/3 cup) Nutrition Information per serving 106 calories, 8 g carbs, 6 g fat, 6 g protein, 2 g fiber
* Loved this we added some fresh pickled jalapenos to it when it was done and it tasted amazing on chips. My kids and husband both ate it up. I got this recipe from emilybites
Posted by The Daily Smash at 4:00 PM
Labels: healthy cooking, side dish
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Tis the season for Pumpkin! Knowing that this is my daughter's favorite season of the year and how she loves pumpkin, I recently made her a cake that I believe she will make over and over and over. Yes it is THAT good!
Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°
1 can Pumpkin or 2 cups fresh pumpkin
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs - beaten
2 cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Salt
Beat Pumpkin, Sugar and Oil
Add eggs
Combine dry ingredients
Add dry ingredients to the wet
Beat until well blended
Beat until well blended
Pour into 9x13 baking pan
Bake for approximately 35 minutes (until toothpick inserted pulls out clean)
1 stick Butter (softened)
8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
1 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 Powder Sugar
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Mix all ingredients until well blended. beating for 5 minutes. Add powder sugar or Cream as need for desired consistency.
Try it out and tell me what you think!


text: Able Facility Solutions is the one source for all your facility maintenance solutions. We manage all of your locations and give each and every job the personal attention that it deserves. With our vast network of trade professionals, we can provide service throughout the United States through trusted and proven technicians.


text:
On Thursday 14 June 2018, H.S.H. Prince Albert II inaugurated an exhibition in the Palace of Monaco dedicated to François-Joseph Bosio, Monegasque sculptor, 250th anniversary of his birth.
The Palace State Apartments will host this exceptional exhibition on Monegasque artist François-Joseph Bosio until 14 October 2018.
François-Joseph Bosio was born on the Rock on 19 March 1768 into a family living in Monaco since the 17th century. Noticed at the early age of 16 by Prince Honoré III (1720-1795) for his skill in modelling clay, he was sent to Paris where he spent two years in the sculptor Augustin Pajou's studio.
His career acquired a new dimension in 1807 when he made bas-reliefs for the monumental column on Place Vendôme. Introduced at Court, he renewed the genre of official portraits, between 1810 and 1814, when he made many busts of the Imperial family and dignitaries. Bosio is also recognised as one of the finest representatives of Neoclassical sculpture. He drew his inspiration from Ancient mythology and allegorical subjects, taken for the most part from Ovid's Metamorphoses in a style seeking to imitate Ancient sculpture until the end of his career. He adapted to changing political regimes and was honoured under the Restoration and July Monarchy, finding favour with Kings Louis XVIII, Charles X and Louis-Philippe.
Some of his official commissions for the Parisian urban scene evoke the history of French royalty. For instance, the equestrian statue of Louis XIV for Place des Victoires inaugurated in 1822, earned him the position of Premier Sculpteur du Roi, a distinction that had been granted to no one, since Bernini in the reign of Louis XIV. Bosio died on 29 July 1845.
The year 2018 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of this world-famous artist, honoured last 19 April in a commemoration on the Rock of Monaco. On this occasion, HSH Prince Albert II stopped in front of the sculptor's birthplace before leaving flowers at the foot of a bust of the artist on Placette Bosio. He then visited the Saint Martin Gardens, where an exhibition FJB on the Rock presented the results of a research project on Bosio by second-year students of the École Supérieure d'Arts Plastiques – Pavillon Bosio.
The exhibition, François-Joseph Bosio, Monegasque sculptor, 250th anniversary of his birth, held in the State Apartments of the Palace includes some of the artist's most emblematic works from the collections of the NMNM (New National Museum de Monaco), along with documents from the Archives on his Monegasque origins.
The exhibition is structured around four themes: "Bosio, the Monegasque", "Imagery of the First French Empire", "Neoclassicism and Mythology" and "Herald of the Restoration". It was designed by the Palace Archives, in collaboration with the NMNM (New National Museum de Monaco) with support from Stéphanie Deschamps-Tan, Curator at the Louvre in charge of 19th-century sculpture, and a specialist of Bosio.


text:
fully run in and will make more power.than your average tfsi engines 😈
Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk
Hi ladies and gents,
Just had a browse at this vehicle on carsales and at VW Five Dock on the weekend and noticed something strange about it.
There were barely any details of the vehicle except that it was "a Volkswagen Australia dealer executive vehicle".
Advert with no info, suspect:
It sure bloody was!
It was a test vehicle for car mags, reviewers and weekend warrior friends of VW, steer clear of this car as the gearbox was hopping mad when I drove it around at 60km/h.
fully run in and will make more power.than your average tfsi engines 😈
Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk
"Grab your ankles, it's time to humm moon river" HAHAHAHA
Where is the place that review started at?
Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk
buying a performance car i wanted something brand spanking new for that exact reason haha. it's the kind of car that is very likely going to be thrashed by other test drivers, sales reps taking it home for the day or going to lunch etc etc.
the only concern is the gearbox, that probably shifts bad because it MAY have learned the behavior of always been gunned hard, (dont think this is actually a thing though- but if it is that d be great so you dont have to get a new mechatronics unit) otherwise newclutch pack, brakes and tyres shouldn't total more than 5 grand installed (HINT GET 5grand off asking price) and mechatronics should be covered under warranty, and you can leverage the video as a big bargaining chip especially if the dsg is jumpy.
other than that I kinda agree with the others- properly run in, and i bet you its internals are cleaner with less carbon build up for its kms than another R.
Though one big problem
That guy was driving recklessly on public road right? is this right? or is this particular private?, cause I think that's more sketchy then a dealership trying to rip people off selling thrashed cars..
also, talk about novice camera work, he makes Michael bay look good. and the vignetting wow.
If you want a scirocco and not too fussy then you could get a real bargain. If it's been that thrashed then you would hope things break whilst under the warranty and get replaced. You see cars in perfect condition and treated very well with things that still
break anyway.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
so what's the go on running in a new car these days? I'm getting a wolfie in a couple weeks, I've not owned a brand new car before, and I'm reading conflicting info on how to drive in the beginning. Any articles or threads here on the forum about it?


text:
The UK NSC recommendation on Duchenne muscular dystrophy screening in newborns
Find general information about population health screening.
Why is screening not recommended by UK NSC?
Newborn screening for DMD is not recommended because of concerns about: -
More about Duchenne muscular dystrophy
The muscular dystrophies are a group of disorders, caused by a genetic abnormality, that cause progressive weakness. Although genetic in origin, there are various reasons why an affected individual might have no family history of a similar condition. Some are severe and limit life expectancy, others relatively mild.
• Action Duchenne
The stakeholder groups will be involved when the recommendation is next reviewed. If you think your organisation should be added, please contact us. More information for stakeholders can be found in appendix C of the UK NSC evidence review process.
More optionsGo to top


text:
21 Token to this Friendship
Happy New Year to you too. Well said! Keep sayingReplyDeleteReplies
Glad to receive your wishes, Sir :)Delete
Thank you so much..
Happy New Year to you too. Well said! Keep sayingReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you so much :)Delete
- AnonymousJanuary 1, 2014 at 11:00 AM
Happy New Year, Simran! May all your dreams come through. God bless. :-)ReplyDelete
- RahulReplies
Thanks dear :)Delete
A perfect equation is what we need little one.. Wish you and your family a very Happy, Healthy, Colorful and Prosperous New Year!!ReplyDelete
Someone is SpecialReplies
Thank you sooo much my Special One :) :)
I wish this year brings a lot more success than the previous one... Best wishes to you and family!
Your sweetness enchants me.! Great poem complimenting your innocent thoughts and soft heart. keep going with your beautiful thoughts.You gonna do wonders one day ! . :-)ReplyDelete
Your thoughts enchants me. Great poem complimenting your innocence & soft beautiful heart..! keep going.You gonna do wonders one day ..! :-)ReplyDelete
Beautiful thoughts Simran ji God bless. :-)ReplyDelete
Happy New Year 2014Replies
Happy you liked... thank you :)Delete
Happy New year!ReplyDeleteReplies
Happy new year to u too :)Delete
Happy New YearReplyDelete
Happy New Year Simran! I love your thoughts! I think this would make a beautiful song :) May peace, good health and prosperity be yours this new year!ReplyDeleteReplies
A song..Wow! I think it would be fun if we compose it further together :)Delete
Thank you so much for lovely wishes...
I wish for you the same... :)
May we read more brilliant pieces from you this new year :-)ReplyDeleteReplies
Awww... :)Delete
Sure will try best
Thanks a lot, Emerald
Either positive or negative comments are good because it shows I am still relevant. Hope you enjoyed reading here:-) !!


text:
Race day rolled around after a week of almost no sleep, with the worst night being right before the event - I didn't get to bed until 11:30pm, woke up at 1am, then again at 2:30, and one last time at 3:30am before climbing out of its coziness to munch back a bagel. My right calf had been feeling tight and sore since Thursday evening's run, which was one of only two I'd done in the prior 8 days between backpacking for the Victoria Day weekend and intentional days off for date night and tapering. Having been whacked between the eyes with the worst case of race nerves I can ever recall experiencing, I gave up any hope of performance and focused on just trying to finish the damn thing and have a good look around to enjoy the trails.
Relaxing wasn't happening. As I downed my pre-race coffee on the ride down to the Ancaster Community Centre, I was driving Tanker insane with my constant vibration and keening sounds. He repeatedly assured me I'd be fine - that I'd make him proud no matter what. I don't know what I'd do without him, even though I didn't believe him for a second.
|Skepticism. I haz it.
Still being of the "large surface area" persuasion (read: chubby) and having had major issues on some hot weather runs in the weeks leading up to the event, I had joked with someone that I was hoping for frost on race morning. So yeah, everyone that was freezing to death at the start line can blame me for that one. Trying to figure out what to wear was ridiculous: the temperature that afternoon was supposed to reach 22c/72f, but it was below freezing as we drove through the sunrise to arrive at the venue around 6:15am. I'd either have to ditch a bunch of gear along the way (and I wasn't sure there would be a place to do so where I could recover it), carry extra weight as I removed stuff (NOPE), or just TRUST THE CHUB.
Yep. You know what I ended up doing.
Before all of this, though, I actually managed to find a way to chill out in a more figurative sense. I'd had a Beck track stuck in my head all morning, and I had it on my phone, so I played it after doing my ankle circles, leg swings, and other silly motions in an effort to loosen up. Once the song I'd wanted to hear was done - and I can't tell you how encouraging it is to have a chorus that goes "more dead than alive" lodged in your brain before a 50k - I decided to keep the funk rolling by throwing on another of Beck's older cuts.
And then it took over.
|If you really want to laugh, here's the video Tank shot.
While the portajohn lineup grew to epic proportions behind me, I shook my tiny-skirted booty to the swingin' beats. I'm sure I looked like the biggest knob in the world and everyone probably got a good larf out of the crazy chick gettin' funky for NO APPARENT REASON (since I could barely even hear my phone in my hand, I'm sure noone else could hear it at all), but for the first time in at least 36 hours I felt happy and relaxed.
Best pre-race warmup ever.
|Let's do this thing!
Shivering and thinking I could really use one more pre-race pee (which was impossible with the huge lineup for the facilities), I got a final good luck kiss from Tanker and lined up at the top of Martin Road with all the other 25k & 50k participants in time for the horn to sound at 7:30am. The deal was one 10k spur followed by two 20k loops, and I figured that 2nd 20k was going to be messy as my longest training runs had been just twenty-five measly kilometers.
Ah well. Suck it up and give'er.
|Course map. See a larger PDF version here.
The mass start of people on the trail meant that I was stuck in the general conga line with few opportunities to pass for the first while. Since I was just planning to tourist the race, I was totally fine with this, but the crowds ahead of me thinned to almost nothing as we reached the turn-around point for the 25k runners (who did a 5k out-and-back section plus a single 20k loop). Continuing on the Headwaters trail with a lot more space, I reveled in the brilliant sunshine and the lush, verdant trails.
Oddly enough, I felt great. I mean seriously awesome. I couldn't feel my hands for the first half hour and I got a slight ice cream headache from not covering my ears against the chill morning air, but I was enjoying the hell out of myself. I frolicked. I romped. I felt like a baby deer prancing through the forest, though I'm sure I looked like some kind of malformed hippo plodding my way along. I could barely contain the joy that welled up inside me simply because I was alive and surrounded by nature on a beautiful day.
I didn't even mind climbing the huge hill on the Headwaters Trail, thinking I'd only have to do it once. This proves that I'm bad at interpreting maps, as I was under the impression the 10k spur was separate from the 20k loop. Nonetheless, I moseyed my way to the top and came hauling back down to the foot of Martin Road again, then marched back upward again to come through the finish line for the first time. Apparently I would have been able to ditch a pair of gloves & earband with Tanker after the first 10k. Oh well - I was still too happy to care, and had long since warmed up enough to be comfortable.
|Oh, and start T-rexing like mad.
10k split: 1:02:36 @ 6:16/km
|Running is way easier if you just don't let your feet touch the ground.
|Yes, I really was that ridiculously happy.
Back down the giant Paris to Ancaster finishing hill, I hit the right-hand turn to head out on the 20k loop and hoped I'd find a portajohn, since the urge to pee hadn't really gone away. I'd started in on a flask of EFS Liquid Shot at the 30min mark, and continued to take a swig every 30mins while sucking back water from my hand bottle until I finished off the 400cal at 2h30m. I also finally hit a portajohn around that time - I'd found them originally at around the 1h30m mark, but at that time for some reason I didn't seem to need one. Just my luck. At least, when I finally did stop at the trail centre, I didn't have to wait since there was an unoccupied loo. Score! As I was about to exit, though, I discovered I'd lost the bead to one of my lip bars. D'oh!
Still feeling absurdly good regardless of collateral losses, I found the course extremely runnable - there were a couple of technical sections and a few hills that were either steep or long enough to warrant walking, but the trails were in excellent condition and I could run most of the undulating sections without redlining myself. Even on the parts I walked, I'd force myself to start running just before the top so I could power up and over into the flat or downhill on the other side. While both calves and hamstrings gave some warning creaks while walking up very steep sections (perhaps not fully recovered from backpacking just a few days beforehand), they loosened up as the day warmed up and the cranky calf I'd feared might cause problems never became an issue.
Of course, I made sure I had enough breath to wish other athletes well as I passed them or they passed me. Having expected to be alone on the trail for much of the race, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the nature of the course meant there was two-way traffic in several places. I got to see a lot of friendly faces in the ultra community and pass some kind words with acquaintances old and new. I never seemed to be at quite the same pace as anyone else for long, though, so didn't really end up chatting much with anyone. I had plenty of time to absorb the stunning beauty of the trails themselves - the lively streams and gorgeous stepped falls; the awe-inspiring rock formations; the pockets of phox, forget-me-nots and lily of the valley deliciously scenting the sunshine-dappled woods.
Hitting the Headwaters Trail again at the end of my first 20k loop, I was a bit chagrined to realise I'd have to climb both the huge hill on it AND the big sucker at the finish 3 full times before I'd be done, but I was still feeling great and having fun. The trails were open to the public, too, and I'd seen a couple of people out walking and riding mountain bikes, plus some very distinct evidence (ahem) of horseback riders along the way.
Of course, you had to know my clumsiness would eventually come into play. As I came to a bit of a bend in the trail and got stuck behind a clump of runners in some two-way traffic that also had a mountain biker in its midst, I was trying to process all the sensory input and still give those around me a kind word or two...and failed to pick up my feet sufficiently on a rooty section.
I felt my toe catch and my body pitch forward, everything shifted into slow motion. I knew I was going down. I knew I was doing so in front of a whole pack of people. I was utterly helpless to change any of this.
Sprawling on the ground on knees, hands and my right elbow, I inspected the trail at close range. I bounced back up almost immediately and started brushing dirt off me as I looked for damage & tried to assess how I felt (other than like a complete idiot - that was a given). Other racers kindly asked if I was ok and assured me I wasn't the only one going for a brief dirt nap; one girl said she'd done the exact same thing not 20mins earlier. Fortunately I had lucked out big time: rather than yard saling myself in one of the many sections of the course covered in pea gravel, roots or rocks, I'd managed to biff into a pile of fluffy leafmould & dirt. I had a scraped up right elbow, a dirty mark on my right knee, a spot that I knew would become a spectacular bruise on the outside of my right thigh along with some minor scratches, and the palm of my highly swollen left hand (which happens whenever I run over 2hrs) looked like I might have popped a couple of tiny blood vessels. My right hand had been cushioned by my hand bottle, which escaped with a bit of scraping only - both it and I still seemed to be completely functional, which was rather a good thing as I still had at least 23km left to go.
Back at it with merely a creak or two from my knees, I made it up the Martin Road hill again to come through the 30k mark in about 3h20m.
|"Hey, guess how dumb I am!"
1st 20k split: 2:17:15 @ 6:52/km
|Still illin'
(The clock started at 6am for the 100 mile race)
I'd helped myself to a small cup of eLoad drink from an aid station around the 3hr mark, but didn't take any gel until snapping into a salted caramel Gu packet around 3h30m. Oddly enough, I had a nasty almost-barf burp after the eload that scared me a bit; I hoped my gut wasn't going south on me. Fortunately, it was my only real moment of GI distress - even the caffeine in the Gu sat fine. I figured (erroneously - I should know better than to attempt math during an ultra) that I might be able to finish in around 5h30m, and had 2 caffeinated gels with me, so one per hour for the last 2hrs of the race seemed reasonable. Unbelievably for this stage in the race I was still feeling really strong and enjoying the hell out of myself; I didn't experience any low, grumpy points in the whole race, remaining quite chipper throughout. I trotted along, sniffing the wildflower and pine scented air, taking another swig of EFS Liquid Shot from a second flask in my pocket at the 4h mark, and trying to stay upright.>
|Image from Lauralyn Welland Taylor on facebook
By this time I was finding the course almost annoyingly runnable. The long stretches of near-flat trail had slight rises that were just enough to take it out of your lungs and legs without being major enough to warrant walking - it's a race that almost seems custom designed to make you keep working hard throughout. I kept my effort level up, still passing people and running over the tops of hills, and letting my legs go a bit on the downhills. My left hip started to ache a bit and my left lateral quad got a bit snarky (like my right had done at Pick Your Poison last month), but I was well into the last 10k before my legs started to get that heavy, wooden feel that I'd expected much sooner given my lack of long runs. I did almost take another header that would have been much more catastrophic, as I caught another root on a narrow, side-slope technical section that fell away to steep, rocky, tree-filled certain pain on the one side, but I was able to stick the landing at the last moment. I chided myself to pick up my damn feet, and set out to run this thing home. My shoulders and upper back were feeling sore, too, from my earlier tumble and carrying my hand bottle all day.
The second salted caramel Gu at 4h30m was supplemented with a little cylindrical crisp rice snack labeled gluten free from one of the aid stations - how awesome that the organizers made the effort to accommodate those with food sensitivities! Just one more example of how awesome a race this is for the athletes. From kit pickup to aid stations to course layout, this has to be one of the best events I've done. I'm glad I was finally able to fit it into my calendar, and will most assuredly be back in the future.
I filled my hand bottle about halfway at the 5hr mark as I came through the aid station at the split to the Headwaters Trail - the spout on the jug was either problematic or I was just too stupid to make it work properly at this point, so the trickle it was giving me took forever to pour out even that much. Hoping I was only 30mins from the finish line anyway, I crossed my fingers it would be enough. I took one last tiny sip of EFS Liquid Shot as well, just to keep energy levels up. Nutrition was still sitting fine, but my gut was starting to feel a bit sore just from constant jarring as I continued to push hard right to the bitter end.
I had been playing airborne caterpillar with a nice young lady for the latter portion of the race. She was clearly stronger on the uphills, but my long legs and fat butt gave me an advantage on the downhills and we were pretty evenly matched on the flats. Fortunately the last couple of kilometers after the giant hill on the Headwaters Trail were mostly downhill, so I was able to put a bit of time in before hitting the big climb up to the finish. I had run out of water and was well past 5h30m as I emerged at the top, but knew I was in for a huge PR nonetheless.
|Still grinning like a fool!
2nd 20k split: 2:23:32 @ 7:11/km
|You mean I can stop now?
Official time: 5:43:24 @ 6:52/km
10/50 women, 46/127 O/A
(Official results here)
(Official results here)
|24m27s PR for the 50k distance!
|Trail damage
Even without the bonuses of knocking over 24mins off my first 50k time and the unexpected delight of cracking the top 10 women overall, this has to be one of my best race experiences of all time. The gorgeous day, the superlative beauty of the trails, the friendly people on course, seamless execution by the staff & volunteers and my own fantastic mood throughout all contributed to a thoroughly enjoyable day.
|Enhanced by my own personal cheering section
Now it's time to recover hard, since tri season starts in just over a week!


text:
A man came to the desk with a DVD that he thought he had lost. He had the receipt to show he had already paid for the lost item. However, the receipt was older than 90 days. When my colleague informed him that he will not receive a refund, the customer said ok and handed over the DVD.
No sir, you have paid for it. It is yours.
That's ok, I want the library to have it.
Thank you so much! We appreciate it!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Pleasantly surprised
2 comments:
- Emma said...
That's awesome. Can I ask what DVD is was? I am always interested to see how entertainment tastes match up with library conduct and consideration--in our library the New Yorker is always crumpled and gross, but the readers of People have handled the issues carefully with fellow readers in mind.
- Amy said...
Sorry Emma, I don't recall the title of the DVD.
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text:
@Advntrbuddy01 LOL yes, but nothing crazy. For instance, I have a wooden car...
Ok, can someone explain the logic in this ban to me? Lighters are banned even from checked luggage….fueled or not! Fueled I can understand, but not fueled? And inside the plane no non-fueled either? I used to (and I new stress used to) to take my cigar lighter with me to Japan just to have a flame source. Oh well.
So that aside, the article says:
The genesis for the ban was Richard Reid, who tried unsuccessfully to light explosives hidden in his shoes on a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001. He used matches.
But the article goes on:
The ban does not include matches. Passengers still may carry aboard a plane up to four books of safety matches. Not allowed on planes are "strike anywhere" matches, which can be struck using any abrasive surface.
Ok, so the guy who inspired the ban used matches, so you allow people to still carry matches? How does that make ANY sense? It doesn't. The article says they are not included in the ban because they can't be detected. Well boo-freakin-hoo. One flame source is as good as another. You are allowed to carry up to 4 books of matches though. Sorry folks, but that will cause a pretty big flame if you ignite all 4 at once.
I understand the need for security after 9/11, but they are worry about such tiny things that do nothing but tick off the travellers. I am SO happy I don't fly anywhere near as much as I used to.
And instead of even more bans, how about we concentrate on making the security screening more effective? I know…that would be silly.


text:
Tipsy Root Beer Float Cupcakes
Additional Information
Step 1
Preheat oven 350°F. Prepare muffin pans with baking cups.
Step 2
In large bowl, beat cake mix, root beer, vegetable oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add brown icing color to reach desired shade.
Step 3
Bake 16-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling grid 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely on cooling grid.
Step 4
For icing, in large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add cream; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Use ice cream scoop to scoop icing onto tops of cupcakes. Garnish with maraschino cherries, if using.
Step 5
For infused cupcakes, cut a small opening in the tip of Shot Top. Place cut opening in root beer and squeeze top to fill. Insert cut end into iced cupcake. When ready to eat, squeeze top of Shot Top again to infuse cake with root beer.
Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.
Nonalcholic Substitution: Substitute nonalcoholic root beer in the cake and Shot Top infusers.
Brown Gel Food Coloring Icing Color
In Stock (ships in 1-2 business days)
2-1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract, 4 Oz.
This item is currently not available.
1 package (15.25 ounces) white cake mix
1-1/2 cup spiked root beer (divided. 1 cup for batter, 1/2 cup for infusers)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Eggs
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
7 cups Confectioners' Sugar (about 1-3/4 pound)
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Garnish: 24 Maraschino cherries (optional)
In Stock (ships in 1-2 business days)
In Stock (ships in 1-2 business days)
This item is currently not available.


text:
Quote:A Canadian farmer has lost at least 250 cows in the past 10 years. While the government has charged him and says he failed to feed them, the farmer claims the alien defense.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12...weird-news
Werner Bock has posted plenty of YouTube videos in recent years detailing his cattle's malnourished appearance, sunken features and hair loss. He declares that his cows were the victims of "death rays," some form of alien weapon that's been covered up by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
"At least 250 head of cattle have died from what we call a death beam," Bock said on camera in May of last year. "Where the atmospheric air is manipulated into a death beam, focused on the noses of the animals."
I seriously doubt his alien intervention spin.
the loony bin.
he's on to something there,,, bet cha that.
I seen them death rays,,,
seen those ray's kill,, lots of braincells
seen it in Washington D.C.
wiped out every brain in Congress.
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Gerry leaves for the UK to pursue a Law degree.
Had a small farewell BBQ at her house the night before.
We have been good friends for about 8 years, so I owe it to her… I gave her a sincere gift straight from my heart: A BURNT CD FULL OF SONGS I DID NOT PAY FOR!!!
This gift idea is so awesome, totally cheap, yet very straight from the heart indeed… so very awesome an idea, every other one of her friends did the same. Now… she has a whole collection of burnt CDs to accompany her on her travels abroad! Whoa!
I'd like to think my songs suit her adventures better though. In sequential order: I took into consideration her tastes, which can be a bit emo screamo punkish at times, included some rarities, a tearjerker or two, and some of my ambient post-rock stuff at the end. Click on the pictures to see the awesome gift in full size, tracklisting included.
Wish you well, Gerry!


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because sometimes enough is enough
A few days before the magazine went to print, I felt a deep urge to write out of anger and disappointment about what we have turned into. Sadly, I realized that I have been living in an environment where I have kind of obligation to spend my Sundays at "La Plage" not only pressing the flesh with the who's who in Botox society, but also helplessly overhearing "the young and the restless" crowd (a.k.a the "4pm-ers" or the "happy nation") complain about how much they hated "White" the night before (knowing that deep inside – trust me - they had an amazing time!). In other words, classic Lebanese "Je l'aime, mais je ne peux pas montrer."But the topic du jour revolved around – as always – status symbolism in Lebanon. I listened in to two guys argue over how much one should pay a valet at "Al Mandaloun" in order to get his car parked at the entrance and guarantee an evening full of stares and endless "oohs!" and "ahhs!" by the unfortunate ones who - God forbid - have to "wait" for their cars. It is not enough that valets have become more powerful than the President – it seems like every 10 meters one pops out of nowhere to prevent you from parking because they have confiscated that space earlier and claimed it as their own; but they are also the most tipped. So,I couldn't help but be intrigued to hear the ending of this intense two hour conversation. Apparently, "the head of valets" classifies people into two categories named after famous Lebanese family names: "Shehade" (translates into "beggers") are those who pay 20,000 L.L max, and "Karam" (or "generosity") that pay up to - gasp - $100 to get their exclusive spot near the entrance. I did not know what bothered me the most: the fact that two well educated men spend their precious Sunday lunchtime mingling over a valet's worth like watching a lousy episode of "Gossip Girl," or the fact that their story is unfortunately true. And then it hit me: if every single Lebanese were born with a survival manual of the city in hand, we would not spend our times trying to decipher the codes of status and prestige, or even worse, abide by them. When will we stop buying into this "purchased" joy, and find genuine happiness in simple matters? Who are we trying to impress?


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|image: playstation.com
I got nothing to preface this with, so here's the obligatory "hit the jump" sentence.
|Separated, Ellie hides from Clickers.
|Ellie's sneak attacks are less stealthy and a bit more reckless.
|Ellie and David regroup and look for a way out.
|I'd have taken a shot of the Infected ambush, but I was a little caught up in the action. So here's an "after" shot!
|Ellie draws out David's Hunters away from where Joel is recovering.
|Jump, Callus, jump!
|Callus is shot down and Ellie is forced to continue on foot.
|David's Hunters scour the area for Ellie.
|...it's not going so well for them.
|A view of another resort across the lake. The world might be in shambles, but there's always time to take in the view.


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I'm so excited - Vogue Living (Aust) is just out - it's in my bag ready to read.
I love it when a cover catches my eye and this puppy certainly did do that! Did someone mention colour?!
Will let you know what gems I find in there forthwith.
Mmmmm hot pink spaghetti chair.


text: 0 views Downloads 0 Loading... Austin Mahone Hd Download free Wallpaper, picture of Austin Mahone Hd. Wallpaper for desktop, PC, tablet. High-quality photos, hd pictures and above. Download all images All Austin Mahone Hd wallpapers Click on the picture you like and save it to your computer. Download all images 0 already downloaded


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The Economist puts forward an argument I have been trying to make for years, and they do so with far more style and success than I have enjoyed.
Illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin should be legalised. Prohibition does not work. It is likely that prohibition makes things worse.
We have seen no real lasting successes in the war on drugs. We have seen phenomenal long-term success in the public health campaigns against tobacco.
Drug abuse should be treated as a health concern, not a criminal matter. Why waste billions on incarcerating those in need of our support? Why not spend the money on better hospitals, better healthcare, and better public health support?


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Ten Questions for Luisa Moraes
Luisa Moraes is still an unknown entity this side of the equator, but the São Paulo–born actress, who just wrapped shooting the Brazilian television adaptation of the 2006 hit Se Eu Fosse Você, is finishing up playing opposite Anthony Hopkins in Solace, ensuring that she'll be garnering plenty of attention when the film is released next year. Moraes, 27, also a budding photographer, sat down with Vogue.com shortly before heading back to Brazil to discuss French cinema, Richard Serra, and living in both North and South Americas.
Tell me about your show in Brazil, Se Eu Fosse Você?
Well, I never thought comedy was for me—my passion was always drama. But this show is really fun, even if it's kind of absurd: I play a lawyer in love with her boss whose body has become inhabited by a woman he once slept with. So then my character is in love with him, but it's not really him—it's her!
So it's like Freaky Friday?
That's what everyone says, but I don't even remember Freaky Friday. This show is actually a lot like The Office.
An accent can be a huge barrier for foreign actors—you seem to have none at all.
Well, I was born in São Paulo, but at one point, my father moved us to L.A. We traveled almost every weekend—get in the car and go skiing, go to the national parks. It was always an adventure with the five of us together, but we have a huge family in Brazil—I have forty first cousins!—so we'd still go back for a few months every year. I still have Brazil very much in me.
Later, we lived in Westport, Connecticut, and I was miserable on my first day of high school. In Brazil, things are just different. There were so many rules. There, you drink with your parents; here, I just felt repressed. So I moved back to Brazil to live with my aunt and uncle and started modeling in the middle of high school. I ended up moving back to America three years later.
Are there actresses whose careers you would like to follow?
Cate Blanchett.
Would you prefer to have a career here or in Brazil?
I would prefer to have a career in as many places as possible!
That would be convenient for a rising photographer. Have you always been interested in art?
Yes! Acting is my thing, for sure, but if I had a second choice, it would be to work in the art world. I love Francis Alÿs, Bruce Nauman, and Donald Judd. My favorite thing in New York recently was the Richard Serra [exhibit] at the new David Zwirner.
What kinds of pictures do you take?
I just shoot. I've been looking at a lot of Wolfgang Tillmans lately and sometimes I'll develop a specific theme, but really it just depends on the moment I'm living in.
Do you shoot film or digital?
Old school film! I think the reason I have this thing with film is because I can shoot and not immediately judge myself. You learn a lot about yourself doing photography. I have learned to not be so hard on myself or take it all so seriously. It's actually really helped me with my acting career.
Would you ever show your work formally?
I'm actually about to do my first exhibition this August and going to donate everything to Gastromotiva, a São Paulo charity I'm very involved in. It's a six-month culinary course for low-income kids that is sponsored by restaurants that the participants then go work in once the program is over. I volunteer as much as I can when I am home.
Where is your favorite location to shoot?
There are days I'm inspired and weeks and months I can go without shooting. I just saw this marble yard in Brooklyn and I went crazy—shot rolls and rolls of film, right when the sun was going down. I can't wait to get the film back. I can't shoot in Rio, though, because everyone's done it.
See a selection of Moraes's photographs below:
_[#gallery: /galleries/5891e9b17edfa70512d677e1]||||||_


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Under the Wisconsin sales tax laws, the purchaser of a business can be subject to the predecessor business' unpaid sales tax liability. The extent of successor liability for sales taxes, however, is limited to the amount of the purchase price paid for the business. Therefore, if someone pays a half-million dollars for a business that has a million dollar sales tax liability, the purchaser's exposure for the unpaid tax will be limited to a half-million.
It follows, therefore, that if there is no purchase price, there is no successor liability. Further, the successor liability is tied to the location of the business purchased. If only one location of an existing chain of businesses is purchased, successor liability is limited to the sales tax liability attributable to that one location.
It is important to note, however, that while the successor liability is limited to the amount of the purchase price, the "purchase price" consists of any value that is paid for the business. This purchase price includes not only cash or installment payments but also value of any property transferred in exchange for the business and the assumption or payment of any debt on behalf of the purchased business. Using the above example, even if the entire half-million dollar purchase price is paid to secured creditors of the business, the purchaser can still face successor liability to the extent of that half-million dollars.


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Victor Martin, AIA, IIDA, Founding Partner
Vic, (BS Architecture - University of Oklahoma and Graduate of the Harvard School of Design) was relentless in his pursuit to understand clients needs. What set Vic apart was his ability to make every encounter a very entertaining process. He continually exhibited professionalism, passion and comedy with every situation presented.
John Riley, AIA, RRC, Founding Partner
John (BS Architecture - Delta College) was instrumental in combining the value of design with the durability of the building envelope. His technical expertise provides clients reassurance along with advocacy. Don't let the mustache and serious demeanors fool you, he has a gracious smile and a melting heart for his grandkids.
Vic's individual strengths were apparent in the initial meeting between he and John. Vic's local upbringings, his flair for exceptional design, and of course a laugh to make a crowd around him chuckle, were only highlights to an extensive architectural past. Adding in the ability for engineering and technical details, John set the standard high for architecture firms around to follow. His leadership is truly inspirational and his enthusiasm to uphold the mission and live the philosophy is evident in his presence.
Since 1986, with each of these individuals skills combined, the firm has grown to sustain the mission of creative design solutions supported by superior technical and engineering expertise. This mission reflects the goal of purposeful and aesthetically pleasing work--becoming the brand of intentional design at MartinRiley. This is reflected in work that has integrity for efficient operation, environmental honesty, practicality and more importantly, client satisfaction.
Over the years, the partnership has grown. People, designs, ideas, materials and technology have evolved, but the commitment and philosophy of intentional design is practiced throughout our entire studio. Intentional design reaches across disciplines and informs both the business and creative model to craft environments that are purposeful and generate design solutions that reflect a focus on aesthetics, ecology and the human psyche.
As these two gentlemen embark on their next journey (known to some as semi-retirement because we just can't seem to get rid of them), we're confident that true client relationships will continue to exist. When you come to MartinRiley, you get both strong design and, equally important, strong technical skills on every project. These strengths remain the hallmark of the firm and the reasons that some clients first know us and the reasons others have remained with us.


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Reckless and negligent drivers pose a dangerous threat to both pedestrians and other motorists on the road. The most dangerous of drivers, some would argue, are those who drive under the influence. Such drivers experience reduced reaction time, lack of muscle coordination, poor balance and poor decision-making ability, among other things. Getting behind the wheel in such a state can result in serious injury to both the driver and other parties, should a car accident result.
Three young college students were recently out in the early morning hours in California. They were reportedly making a left turn at an intersection, with a green light, when an oncoming car apparently failed to stop and collided with the passenger side of their car. The driver of the car who failed to stop was arrested at the scene after authorities determined that he was driving under the influence. It was not immediately available what the driver's blood-alcohol content was. It was also not immediately clear if he suffered any injuries, but there were no indications that he was sent to a hospital for treatment.
The three students were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment for their injuries. The driver suffered major injuries. The passenger in the front seat suffered minor injuries as well. The passenger in the back seat, however, was unfortunately pronounced dead at the hospital. She was just 22 years old.
While the police investigation is ongoing, the accused is facing at least one charge of driving under the influence. Additional charges may be added, depending on what else the investigation might reveal. Authorities are reportedly seeking input from the community, asking witnesses to the incident to come forward.
The family of the deceased victim in this car accident may have the right to file a wrongful death claim under California law. Any recouped compensation can be applied toward burial costs and loss of companionship, among other things. The other victims may have the right to file personal injury claims that can help cover medical bills and lost wages. Obviously it's impossible to put a price on the amount of grief that families feel when they lose a loved one so unexpectedly, and it's just as difficult for injured parties to put a price on their well-being, but financial compensation can offer some relief.
Source: dailytitan.com, Police investigate collision that killed CSUF student, Helena Reed, Nov. 19, 2013


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I love to put it over vanilla ice cream or even cottage cheese and it's absolutely fabulous.
I had to make two turbo sized berry bowls to keep on my kitchen counter because my husband and I love to have fresh berries, grapes and cherry tomatoes readily available to pick at.
Most of the ones that I make and sell are smaller and hold about a pint like these new ones that I designed with flowers around the holes.
|Handmade Berry Bowls $30
|This years berry bowl designs
Here's another berry recipe from MyRecipes.com that sounds delicious and I really want to try...
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Dash of ground cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) bag assorted frozen berries
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup dry instant polenta
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
To prepare compote, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add honey, juice, cinnamon, and berries; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm.
To prepare polenta, bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in sugar and salt, and cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Serve with compote.
Have a berry recipe you'd like to share? Please post in comments!


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Guest Lecturer: Dirk Weissleder
--Director DAGV—German Working Community of Over 65 Genealogical Societies --International Genealogy Lecturer --Co-founder of International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP)
San Rafael Catholic Church Parish Hall 17252 Bernardo Center Drive San Diego, CA 92128
8:30 Check-in
9:00: Archives, Libraries and Institutions for Genealogical Research in Germany.
10:15: The Surname is Key—History of Surnames and Conducting Surname Research in Germany.
11:30 The Structure of Organized Genealogy in Germany
12:30 Lunch—bring your own bag lunch and socialize with fellow attendees.
FEE: $10 FOR NON-SDGS MEMBERS Non-SDGS members please RSVP to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Address: Post Office Box 635057
San Diego, CA 92163
Email: email@example.com


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Welcome to the Elgin Area Chamber!
Thank you for visiting us. The Elgin Area Chamber is one of the largest accredited business organizations in Illinois.
Use our Search below to connect with GREAT businesses just around the corner.
Mark Your Calendar
Every Day is Beautiful in Green Valley
With a wide variety of events and opportunities, Green Valley has something to offer everyone. Celebrate the fun of the Minnesota State Fair with us each summer. Enjoy a scenic stroll through our many parks or play a round of golf at one of our three courses. Have your picture taken with the World's Largest Owl and marvel at all the beautiful outdoor murals throughout the town.
Our community offers a thriving economy, superb schools, traditional values, faith and fellowship, helpful services, and many entertainment options. Green Valley is truly the ideal place for new ventures and new growth because every day is abeautiful day.
In the Spotlight
Meet the Member of the Month
iHerb has been in business since 1996 and is run from three distribution centers in California, Kentucky, and ELGIN Illinois. A global leader in bringing the best overall value in natural products to our customers all over the world, we are thrilled to have them join our business family. Browse their site and you'll find over 1,200 brands and 30,000 brand name products that you may also find at health food stores and natural pharmacies -- with one important difference: Our prices are typically 30 - 50% less! Combine great prices with loyalty credit, additional quantity discounts and free or super discounted shipping methods on all domestic and international shipping services for truly the best overall value in the world for brand name natural products!
Happy Anniversary
Happy Chamber Member Anniversary to our Members! Thank you to these Elgin Area Chamber members who are celebrating an anniversary with our organization:
Celebrating 40 - 49 years Presence Saint Joseph Hospital Celebrating 20 - 29 years Township of Elgin Celebrating 10 - 19 years Courtyard & Townplace Suites by Marriott
Tighe, Kress & Orr, P.C.


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WASHINGTON — Construction starts on new U.S. homes rose by a surprisingly strong 8.2% in April and applications for new building permits turned up for the first time in five months, the Commerce Department said Friday in a report showing the hard-hit housing sector still had some spring vigor.
Starts in April ran at a 1.032-million-unit annual rate, up from a revised 954,000-unit rate in March, and permits gained 4.9% to 978,000 a year from a revised 932,000 in March.
Starts on multiple-unit buildings increased but single-family home starts fell.
Nonetheless, it was a significantly stronger overall performance than anticipated by economists surveyed by Reuters who had forecast April starts at a 940,000-unit rate and permits at a 920,000 rate.
The jump in overall April starts was the biggest monthly increase since a 14% rise in January 2006, and the gain in permits was the largest since a 6.7% gain in December 2006.


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Microsoft Office Specialist
Microsoft Office Specialist
Program Length: 6 months | Open Enrollment
The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) program is designed to effectively prepare adults who are blind or visually impaired to successfully earn certifications for the Microsoft Office applications. The program prepares a client to function in an office environment or as a first-level application support specialist. The program includes training in Microsoft Windows with Microsoft Office products.
Computer training is accomplished with the use of assistive technology such as screen-reading programs and magnification programs, depending on the individual's needs.
In the computer training module, the individual learns how to use the Microsoft Office 2013 suite of programs and to ultimately obtain certifications in Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. The program is primarily self-paced with scheduled instructional times and group activities. Assignments integrate the knowledge of multiple applications to demonstrate proficiency.
For more information, or to begin the application process, contact Rebecca Reid, director of recruiting and retention, at email@example.com or 800-248-0734.
- High school diploma or GED
- Keyboarding speed of 35 wpm (45 wpm preferred)
- 12th-grade spelling level
- Print reading speed of 100 wpm with 75% comprehension
- Excellent ZoomText or JAWS skills
- Good independent living and travel skills
- This program does not require a minimum Braille reading speed


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It was a trip of a lifetime. Previously I blogged about losing my Kelly in Paris but seriously, believe it or not, we did fine and well. It happened on the first night. We continued on with the trip. Visited Disney Land. Shopped on. Dined on. I guess sometimes people, find it difficult how we can remain so positive in times like that. (I said remain positive, not heartless or emotionless. Of course I'm sad I lost my Kelly and Ollie's backpack and all other stuff, come on, you know the value of the things I use. Of course we knew about the inconvenience without travel documents and remaking everything.) But hey! The Earth continues moving. No one stops for me. We can either choose to move on in Paris or stay in the hotel to cry everyday? Of course, we moved on!
Yes, we shortened the trip. We needed to get back to settle the travel documents. So, we paid a lot more to be back one day earlier.
Anyway, that aside, Paris is great. Had lovely friends with us. Love the weather. We kept ourselves very warm (too warm on some days, haha). Love the bread and butter and cheese. We had that almost every meal. How not to love the escargot too. Haha. Thankful that my clothes still fit. Haha. Love the coffee. Absolutely yummy coffee. Love the wine and beer. Cheaper than water! What else but... Love the shopping!!! The shopping rocks in Paris. Thankful I got most of what I wanted. But well, shopping and buying, never enough anyway. Thankful that Laogong tries his best to make everything work too. I can be a very difficult and wilful spouse at time.
Thankful for family that know us or me well. I cannot stand nagging. So when they found out about it, they simply kept their messages and concern sweet and short. No nagging. No repeatedly telling us be careful x 100,000.
Thankful that we are safe and sound and back home. See you maybe in August or maybe in 2018 again, Paris. I still love you. You presented me the worst situation in the best way because no one was hurt and my precious Ollie didn't feel a thing.
Thank you, Paris.
I'll just take and keep, the best memories.
(Updates: Back home, passports made, expedite. Sim card replaced. Phone bought. Mainly back to normal routine. Thank you everyone for your warm welcome back! Lots love for you all)


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Artist Draws Deep Emotions Without Any Colors
Community member
Art is a form of expression. Sravanthi Joshi, an artist from Bangalore, creates some very expressive images using her unique skills in drawing sketches with charcoal and graphite.
As she says on her website: "Working and manifesting imaginations in black and white is my passion. For this to be brought to materialistic form I use charcoal and graphite. This passion has helped me to be well versed in monochromatic sketches."
An artist who creates images on a wide variety of topics, she uses charcoal and graphite to filter everything but the emotions in her artwork. These emotions are usually love, loneliness, joy and sadness. She also draws the beauty of the female form in many of her images. I find some of her images very real as if they are print outs of monochromatic images. And the best part is, she is still a learning artist. I wonder what she can do when she is a pro at this.
More info: sravanthijoshi.com
686viewsShare on Facebook


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Of course, I don't want to be a party pooper, so this week will feature a few emerald-hued treats to get us in the holiday spirit, starting with today's Thin Mint Brownies.
If you're thinking these beautiful baked goods look a little familiar, you might be right. They made their first appearance in the early, early days of The Traveling Spoon, but they're so festive and delicious that I just had to share them once more - plus, it just happens to be Girl Scout cookie season again. You can read the original (much more informative) post here, but if you're just here for the recipe, keep reading!
There's a simple version of the Thin Mint Brownie on the Little Brownie Bakers website (just add crushed Thin Mints to your favorite boxed mix), but this is not that brownie. I have to confess that I did use a boxed mix but you could, and should, substitute your favorite basic brownie recipe and just make the modifications suggested below. I would recommend a dark/bittersweet recipe to contrast with the bright, sweetness of the mint; I used a milk chocolate box, which was all we had on hand, and it ended up a bit too sweet (because, you know, some people might think that's actually possible).
Check out that crackly top!
These brownies are studded with crushed Thin Mints and swirled with peppermint icing before baking. Under heat, the icing creates a crackly mint toping and a sweet, very fudgy center. I baked mine in muffin cups (I like bite-size brownies) but I'm sure you could use a regular 9x9-inch pan or whatever your normal recipe calls for.


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The past year and a half has been crazy for me. I found out I had diabetes and I got married. I've struggled with pain from migraines and my teeth. I've had mild surgery and almost had to have a second mild surgery because of a weird cyst thing that I had in my mouth. (Most of my health problems, I haven't shared on social media.) My rottweilers have been sick a lot. Izzy had pancreatitis and I was taking Mika to the vet every week because it turns out that he has Inflammatory Bowel Disorder, which is a dog's version of Crohn's Disease.
I've honestly been overwhelmed with all the changes and struggles in my life lately. I've had a lot to adjust to and work past and my writing hasn't been as quick as I would have liked.
I used to spend all day writing. I remember once writing seventy thousand words in a week. They all had to be edited, but I was happy with it.
But lately, I've sat down, been trying to force myself to write at least ten thousand words because I've been writing infrequently and wanting to catch up. Instead, I've been staring at my novels and getting overwhelmed and my mind has been going blank on a lot of days. Even when it doesn't and I write two thousand words, instead of feeling proud of it, I've felt disgusted with myself, saying things in my head like,"This isn't the way to write three or four books a year and you can't be a successful writer unless you write three or four books a year!"
Then my friend on facebook suggested making a New Years Resolution of writing only one hundred words every day. I liked this idea. It was very doable, even on days where my life was insane. I was tired of going days or sometimes weeks without progress when things got to hectic.
And because of it, I've been writing every day! Not only that, but I feel really good about myself and my novels. It's so easy to meet the goal of one hundred words every day and now I say,"As long as I write one hundred, I wasn't a failure today" even if all I write is one hundred. I've found myself writing much more than one hundred words a day and enjoying every bit of it. Where before I was criticizing myself because I still hadn't met my goal, now I am congratulating myself daily for the progress.
I think it's hard for writers not to get into this psychological head trip where we are critizing ourselves and what we write and how fast constantly. It's a muse killer. I was writing still, but it felt mechanical rather than inspired. This has breathed life back into the whole thing. Because I'm writing those extra words because I want to, not because I feel like I need to meet some impossible goal.
I'm so happy.
So if you're a writer like me and you're frustrated with yourself, cut yourself some slack and you might be surprised by how much you can achieve. I'm achieving more now without the pressure than I was before.


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Yeah, there's anger everywhere. I'm surprised at it because the people that are angry are the people who are "winning". Their people are" winning elections", they're winning on the "policy battles" and they're still mad. They're still angry. They're perpetually angry! They're perpetually enraged. And people have asked me why.
I don't know. I can't relate to being mad all the time. I don't want to be mad all the time. I don't want to wake up mad. I don't want to go to bed mad. I don't want to spend all day mad. There are a lot of people that do it, though, and I, frankly, I don't understand it. It's not something that I want to try to parse and analyze. All I know is that they're not the people are going to get anything done. The constant complaining and whining and anger has got a root cause somewhere, and it all equals is unhappiness and dissatisfaction. And they end up striking out at people like Krinsky (Aguch-Merkoz), Shomrim, Hershkop, Shemtov, this Rov and that Rov etc… and blaming everybody else for the fact that they don't feel very happy, when in fact they need to look inward.


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My Rules
1. I don't care if you disagree me. As long as it's a coherent comment and not full of hate (my judgment call) it stays. If you just want to troll and stir up the pot then go somewhere else.
2. I use "dofollow" on my comments. If you contribute to my blog by posting a useful comment then you deserve a little link love. If you're a comment spammer then you better put some effort into it and write something brilliant and your outbound link better be relevant or it will be deleted. Not only will I delete it, I will flag is a spam and your information will be entered into Akismet's database of know spammers. In other words, if you're a spammer don't even bother. You know who you are.
3. Bullshit comments will be deleted.
4. If you put me on your parenting blog roll, I'll put you on mine. Just email me and let me know you did it.
5. Play nice and don't call people names.
Updated 2-22-17


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This activity is closed to further registration.
2909 Commonwealth DrSpring Hill, TN, 37174
Description: Join us for a monthly potluck and bingo! We provide the entrée and drinks, and ask that you bring a side dish or dessert to share with the whole group. After the meal, try your luck at bingo to win a prize.
1120 Hillsboro Rd.
Franklin, TN 37064
Tel. 615.790.5719


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From Arthur City, Texas, USA:
My 2 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September 1999. My concern is with Y2K computer problem. Will insurance companies pay for supplies for a year or more in advance? What is the best way to store insulin up to one year?
Each insurance company has different policies about how much of a particular drug they will pay for at a time. You should check with your insurance company for details.
If you are interested in storing insulin, check the expiration date on the vials you buy to be sure it will remain "in date" beyond the last date you might use it. Insulin is best stored in the refrigerator, but never frozen. If frozen, the insulin should be discarded.
Original posting 18 Mar 1999
Posted to Insulin
|Return to the Top of This Page
Last Updated: Tuesday April 06, 2010 15:09:02
This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other health care professional.
This site is published by T-1 Today, Inc. (d/b/a Children with Diabetes), a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, which is responsible for its contents. Our mission is to provide education and support to families living with type 1 diabetes.
By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use, Legal Notice, and Privacy Policy.
© Children with Diabetes, Inc. 1995-2018. Comments and Feedback.


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Looks like it's going to be a quiet weekend around here. (Or am I missing something?) I might get to go to some yard sales Saturday morning!
The River Region Horse Clinic is Saturday from 10 am-3 pm at the R. H. Kirkpatrick Arena in Autaugaville, Alabama.
Several river region consignment sales are still going on or are starting this weekend.
Saturday is the Montgomery Multiples club sale from 7am to Noon at Ridgecrest Baptist Church. (The sale is cash only.)
Sundays at 1, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts offers Free docent-led tours of the museum.
Don't forget that next Saturday (9-24-11) is Museum Day. Get your FREE Tickets to participating museums. Check out this post for all the details.
If you know of something else going on that River Region Family needs to know about, post it here or on the River Region Family Facebook wall.


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Release date : September 9, 2016
123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Director : Kiran Rao
Producer : Kiran Rao
Music Director : Parag Chhabra
Starring : Udai Kiran, Tejaswi, Swetha Varma
Continuing the trend of low-budget films, yet another unique project which has hit the screens today is 'Wish You A Happy Break Up'. Let's see how this film turns out to be.
Naresh(Uday Kiran) is an aspiring filmmaker who wants to make it big in Tollywood. He tries hard but ends up failing many times. Seeing his horrible situation, Naresh's girlfriend dumps him and settles with someone else. Rest of the story is as to how Naresh deals with his breakup and makes it big in the industry.
Plus Points:-
One of the biggest plus points is the way the film has been narrated in certain scenes. As the hero is an aspiring filmmaker, he keeps shooting his daily routine and problems all the time. The way these videos have been cleverly used in the narration is pretty interesting.
Uday Kiran does well in his role and gives an honest performance. Tejaswini shines in a small role and the episode featuring her has been shot well and looks convincing.
Minus Points:-
As the story of the film is quite weak, there is nothing much for the makers to showcase. The basic emotion is missing and all the scenes that have been showcased are just like different episodes of the hero's daily life.
The message that has been given in the climax looks forced and does not have any value. Some scenes featuring hero's friends become boring after a point. Some jokes that have been written on women go overboard during the first half.
Technical Aspects:-
Director Kiran Rao had an interesting concept and narrated the film well in certain scenes. But the lack of basic emotions and interesting turning points during crunch situations destroy this film completely. Camerawork and production values are pretty good. Music was a drawback and so was the screenplay.
On the whole, Wish You A Happy Break Up is an innovative approach towards filmmaking in Tollywood. But the basic emotions which are required for a feature film are completely missing in this film. Except for some few comedy episodes and Tejaswini's appearance, this film has nothing much to offer.
123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
- Review : NTR Maha Nayakudu- Politically Driven Drama
- Review : Anjali CBI – Engaging to an extent
- Review : Mithai – Poorly-written comedy flick
- Review : Dev – Lousy Romantic Drama
- Review : Lover's Day – Boring Valentine's Treat
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Ad : Teluguruchi - Learn.. Cook.. Enjoy the Tasty food


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One Flea Spare
ANU Arts Centre, May 14-17
If this play doesn't win awards and accolades for the fabulous set (designed by Gowrie Varma and Ellie Greenwood), there is no justice in this world. The jumble of furniture and picture frames hanging from the ceiling and hammered to the walls screams chaos. This is a world where social, sexual, political and cultural mores are turned upside down and we are immediately plunged into this moral morass.
If, however, there is no justice; that would also be fitting, as inequality is one of the major themes the play examines. In 1665 when the plague stalks the streets of London, the wealthy couple William and Darcy Snelgrave (Andrew Eddey and Sarah Heywood) are quarantined in their house for four weeks. On the last day of their confinement, the house is broken into by Bunce (Lewis McDonald), a sailor, and Morse (Cheski Walker), a strange adolescent who turns out to be the serving girl of their neighbours. Once the guard, Kabe (George Mitton) detects their presence, the house is sealed up for another 28 days, forcing the unlikely foursome to live together in less than perfect harmony.
The isolation is stifling and the silences are admirably awkward as the unwelcome house-guests begin to learn about each other. The members of the confined quartet all give solid performances as they tease out information and back-stories from their characters. As in previous NUTS productions, the age of the available actors limits the possible range of expression, but the actors playing the fifty-something Snelgraves gave pretty fine performances considering. Darcy Snelgrave has been physically, sexually and emotionally repressed for over thirty years, and although Heywood plays this as more grumpy irritation than subdued longing, her thawing is persuasive as she rediscovers the pleasure of touch and intimacy.
Her husband is caught between trying to be the boss and wanting to explore the worlds that Bunce has seen. Eddey portrays this dichotomy with sincerity and his interrogation scenes are a masterpiece of cautious curiosity. McDonald, meanwhile, imbues Bunce with authority and awareness, whether instructing William and Darcy on physical intimacy or regaling the company with tales of wanderlust. He adds just the right hint of intimidation when he dresses in another man's clothes and literally assumes the mantle of power.
As Morse, Cheski Walker luxuriates in a childlike limpidity and her movements around the stage are fluid and compelling. She might benefit from more variety of tone, however, as the depiction of fey spirit child becomes a little tiresome, and renders the screaming passion unconvincing. Similarly, Mitton could bring more menace to the role of Kabe. His jovial cheek adds a light comic touch, but a man who has been handed control over his past masters would surely take a more spiteful advantage of his new-found promotion.
There are some pacing issues in the play, which may be due to the co-direction of Gowrie Varma and Ellie Greenwood. Perhaps having two directors rather than one muddles the focus and prevents continuity. At times it feels as though everyone thought someone else was providing the vision and it all gets a little lost. At the interval, I heard several people wondering if it was actually the end, and only the fact that they hadn't seen the actors bow persuaded them to return to the auditorium. Parts of the second half also flagged as though the actors were unsure how to combine the separate movements into a cohesive symphony.
Naomi Wallace took the title of her play from a John Donne poem in which a man exalts in the thought of a flea mingling the blood of a pair of lovers. Of course the flea's ability to cross borders of sanguinity has darker consequences in terms of disease. In the enforced isolation the characters are simultaneously saved and damned by proximity and contact. The important moments all come through physical transfer: transmitting gin from one mouth to another; the caress of a body that has not been touched for 37 years; the placing of a finger into an open wound; the angel's breath of a child or death; the strangely seductive handling of an orange; the thrilling fetish of toe-sucking.
This plague affects all – the rich and poor alike – and has no respect of place, persons nor time. Donne was a metaphysical poet; a term coined by Samuel Johnson to describe a loose bunch of poets concerned with conceits and speculation on themes such as politics and religion. The play's treatment of class disparity is apt in this context and the poetic surface belies a blunt sub-text of growing concern over inequality as exemplified by recent riots and Occupy movements.
Of course, as every English school-child knows, the 1665 epidemic of the Bubonic Plague in London was swept away by the Great Fire of 1666. The notion of purity is strong on this stage; from the white outfits the characters wear, all the better to show up the blood and the dirt, to the constant washing of the floorboards with vinegar to prevent infection. The compulsory propinquity may lead not only to epidemic outbreaks of disease, but social revolution. Wallace seems to suggest that our contemporary plague is greed and individualism, and only through sharing and collectivism will we recover healthy community.


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Finally, a long and painstaking hard work with a series of nights without sleep is paid off. A new and supposed final official web site of Sirachuch "Michael" Chienthaworn (Don't know who he is? Do not worry, check out the web site: MichaelClub.com) and MFC (Michael Family Club) is launched today (May 28.) We regarded this as a special occasion because it is also our young star's birthday.
Well, first of all, I have to express my deepest gratitude to everyone at Chienthaworn family especially Papa, Mama and Michael himself for putting the faith in us, a team of novice staff members who at first didn't even know how to set up a commercial web site. (Even though I said that it is a "commercial" web site, there is no "advertisement" whatsoever in MichaelClub.com thanks to Michael's Papa and Mama for sponsoring the site.) I myself have only a knowledge of basic HTML and all I did in the past is only some personal home pages. However, together with assistances from books and friends, we all as a team of staff members of MichaelClub.com could make it happen. All praises and applauses should go to New, the Three J's – JJ, Jojo and Job , Thip, Vi and Yada. Thanks everyone for a job well done. This is just the first step, thus let's keep up our hard work.
Last but not least, I have to say sorry to my friends who were kept in the dark of what I was doing during a past few months. My absence from the scenes might annoy someone. This is all my fault. Anyway, now I am back. Thanks to the one (you know who you are) whom I kept calling and asked a series of questions regarding the set up and hosting of web site. MichaelClub.com wouldn't be possible without your help.
Then, what are you waiting for? Come and celebrate with us at <http://www.michaelclub.com>


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A Maryland dealership that offered a customer full reimbursement of damages in a service contract dispute is still subject to class-action claims by the customer and other consumers, the state's highest court has ruled.
In addition, the store's tender of individual compensatory damages doesn't prevent a demand for punitive damages, the majority held in a suit against Castle Ford Ltd. in Silver Spring.
The decision returns the case to a lower court to decide whether to approve a class, allow punitive damages and potentially go to trial.
Castle Ford is out of business, according to its lawyer, Douglas Biser of Towson. But plaintiff's lawyer Leslie Gladstone of Baltimore says discovery is needed to determine whether the company has any assets or insurance coverage.
In 2004, Anthony Frazier bought a $1,700 Ford Premium Care Extended Service Plan for his 2003 Explorer, which had almost 36,000 miles. A Castle finance employee misinformed him that it would cover 48 months from the purchase date or 100,000 miles.
In reality, the 48-month period was calculated from the build date, meaning it expired more than two years earlier than Frazier had believed. He discovered the discrepancy when another Ford dealership informed him that repairs were no longer covered.
Frazier's suit for unfair trade practices and fraud also alleges that the dealership employee admitted selling other service contracts with the same discrepancy.
After litigation began, the dealership paid to extend Frazier's service contract through the fourth anniversary of its purchase and sent a $408 check, after subtracting a $100 deductible, for repair costs he incurred. Frazier didn't cash the check.
His lawyer, Gladstone, also helped other customers receive compensation, and Biser says the dealership rewrote all the affected service contracts and paid the cost of extending them.
A lower-court judge dismissed class-action and punitive damage claims because Castle had tendered full compensation but awarded $20,950 in attorney fees for Gladstone's work for Frazier and other members of the potential class.
However, the Court of Appeals ruled that the dealership couldn't "abort a class action prior to class certification by tendering individual damages to the plaintiff who initiates the case."
Appeals Judge Robert McDonald said that would let a defendant kill a "meritorious class action by picking off" the lead plaintiff.
Gladstone says the most important part of the decision is that a defendant can't "pick off a plaintiff like that and throw money to him" to avert class-action litigation.


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Select Physical Therapy
Select Physical Therapy has 9 locations in Greater Austin to serve you.
Visit their website to see the list of their locations. Whether you're an elite triathlete or a weekend warrior, contact the Select Physical Therapy Injury Hotline and an Athletic Trainer will return your call within 24 hours and refer you to a sports medicine physician, if needed, with the ability to get you in quickly with the specific physicians, give you some injury management tips, or refer you to the closest clinic for your free injury screen.
Services provided at most Select Physical Therapy include:
- Physical Therapy
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- ASTYM Certified Clinicians
- Video Analysis using Coach's Eye Software
- Functional Movement Screens
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- Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist
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- Certified Manual Therapist
- Certified Hand Therapist
At ROKA, we're dedicated to empowering athletes with products that make them faster — faster than they were yesterday, faster than they were last season, faster than their competition. Faster takes hard work, but when you find resonance with your training and equipment there's nothing like it. It's called "easy speed" and it feels AWESOME. Lost it? Never had it? No worries. We're here to help.
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- ROKA pro athletes Javier Gómez and Gwen Jorgensen won a combined three world championship titles. ROKA pros had over a dozen ITU World Triathlon Series wins and Ironman® and Ironman 70.3® wins, and were First Out of the Water at countless races around the world, including the ITU WTS Grand Final, the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, and the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
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- ROKA moves from Austin to Dallas, Texas. Co-Founder Rob Canales leaves his corporate law job to launch ROKA full-time at the end of March.
P2 Life
- Helping to improve and promote athletic performance.
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- Require repetitive short bursts of power and strength for up to 5 minutes at a time.
- Experience stiffness or need to accelerate muscle repair and recovery.
- Are looking to increase lean muscle mass.
- Want to push your body to new levels so that you can be stronger, quicker and enjoy increased endurance.


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Pasione Paea, 31, wants to leave a legacy for his daughter Sophia, 4, to ensure she doesn't go down the obesity path.
After hearing he was a ticking timebomb, 180kg Pasione Paea knew he needed to turn his life around or face certain death.
Already diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and in pain from slipped spinal discs, the stay-at-home dad-of-one owed it to himself and his family to lose the weight that had crept up on him after a back injury.
The wake-up call came last year when a doctor told the 31-year-old Aucklander he would not live to see his 4-year-old daughter, Sophia, grow up if he did not slim down.
"I was in shock when the doc said if I kept going the way I was, by the time my kid was 21 I would be a very sick man indeed," Paea says. "By the time she was 25 she would be asking 'where's my dad?'
"It was pretty brutal news to take in but I decided I would go to any lengths to get the weight off and get well again."
Paea's fight with obesity is charted in a hard-hitting new TV2 reality show The Big Ward. The series - which launches on Tuesday at 7.30pm - will follow the emotional and inspiring journeys of six morbidly obese Kiwis.
For these people, weight-loss surgery is their last chance in our increasingly fat and sugar-fuelled society.
The Big Ward is set in the Manukau Superclinic and the South Auckland community it serves. Each patient must put in the effort to lose weight to qualify for potentially life-saving bariatric surgery, more commonly known as stomach stapling.
As they are forced to change their eating habits and start exercising, viewers will follow their progress and it will be revealed if they have the strength and determination to reach their goal weight for surgery.
The 10-part series will then share the highs and lows of the patients during their year-long quest back to health. It also monitors the challenges faced by their families and medical staff who care for them.
South Auckland is the ground zero of New Zealand's obesity explosion. Sixty-three per cent of the adult population is dangerously overweight.
The Manukau Superclinic is on the frontline of the epidemic. It has treated more than 1500 patients with controversial weight-loss surgery in the past eight years.
Dr Richard Babor is the face of the clinic's bariatric team. He hopes the reality show will help debunk some of the misconceptions surrounding weight-loss surgery.
"Most of the public think being grossly overweight is simply a personal choice," he says. "They think it is down to a chips versus veges mentality but there can be many reasons for obesity, including complex genetic causes.
"A lot of people also form opinions by watching voyeuristic TV shows about the fattest people in the world, some of whom have to be hydraulically removed from their homes by teams of people.
"However, we do not drive around Auckland in a flatbed truck with a crane on the back and smash through people's bedroom walls to hoist them out.
"It is not necessarily the fattest people who will benefit the most from bariatric surgery but those whose weight issues are causing them other serious health problems that losing weight has the potential to address."
Babor says another myth about bariatric surgery is it is the "easy way out" for people too lazy to diet or exercise.
"Having much of your stomach removed with all the attendant possible risks is hardly a soft option," he says. "By the time people get to the stage of considering having an operation they have usually tried everything else they can to lose weight."
We do not drive around Auckland in a flatbed truck with a crane on the back and smash through people's bedroom walls to hoist them out.
Although New Zealand is marketed as an outdoor, athletic haven, global statistics suggest the truth about our health is quite different.
According to official statistics, we are the third-fattest of the OECD countries, behind the United States and Mexico.
One in three Kiwi adults is seriously overweight, and around 35 per cent of Kiwi kids are overweight or obese. Forty-six per cent of Maori are obese, as are 66 per cent of Pacific Islanders living here.
In October the Government launched an advertising campaign featuring well-known sports stars to try and encourage New Zealanders to make healthier lifestyle choices.
The campaign includes Olympian Valerie Adams, Silver Fern captain Casey Kopua, All Black Israel Dagg, Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum and Warriors star Shaun Johnson.
"The campaign is one of 22 initiatives in an obesity plan aimed at preventing and managing obesity in children and young people," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health says. "The package provides targeted interventions for those who are obese, increased support for those at risk of becoming obese and broad approaches to make healthier choices easier for all New Zealanders."
The Government also invests more than $60 million a year on healthy lifestyle programmes such as Kiwisport, Green Prescriptions and Fruit in Schools.
But it is too little, too late for leading Kiwi diabetes expert Dr Robyn Toomath. Just weeks ago she announced she would wind up her national campaign to tackle the obesity epidemic because she felt she had "achieved nothing" in her 14 years of effort.
Toomath - clinical director of general medicine at Auckland Hospital - insisted she had seen no progress in the battle to solve the country's crisis.
The action group she founded - Fight the Obesity Epidemic - will close its website and Toomath plans to release a book on obesity this year which will be her "swan song".
She regularly sees patients who are heading for serious health complications because they are seriously overweight.
"Every single ward round, I see patients who are morbidly obese and have medical problems as a result," she told Radio New Zealand. "We are ordering more and more large-sized beds, we are ordering more hoists.
"It is expensive and there is going to be more of it."
So what is the solution to halting the rising numbers of Kiwis eating and drinking themselves to an early grave?
Boyd Swinburn, professor of population nutrition and global health at the University of Auckland, says educational campaigns on their own have proved ineffective and a more holistic approach needs to be introduced.
"Obesity isn't just a physical problem, it is a psychological and a social issue, too," he says. "New Zealand is number three in the world for having the fattest adults and kids. Neither of those bronze medals are things we should be proud of.
"It is a difficult situation for any government to deal with but progress is being made in places like Mexico, Japan and also in Queensland, Australia, and we should be looking to what initiatives are working best around the world and start adopting those."
Swinburn believes GPs should consider a patient's weight as being one of their vital signs - along with blood pressure and heart rate - and doctors should start giving appropriate advice and treatment before this gets out of hand.
"The Japanese have started taking weight issues seriously in the workplace and have introduced healthier canteens and physical activities and health checks," he says. "And in Mexico, taxing sugary drinks has resulted in a 12 per cent reduction in consumption."
Swinburn thinks New Zealand needs to step up its efforts, too.
Parents have to start recognising obesity in their own kids, politicians need to introduce sugar taxes, health professionals should start monitoring patients' weight more closely; better healthy food policies need to be introduced at schools and the growing gulf between the rich and poor has to be addressed, as people on lower incomes suffer the worst obesity-related problems. "A lot of big mindshifts have to start happening in New Zealand," he says.
"Every year, obesity is bringing more and more health issues and related costs with it.
"We really need to get serious about tackling this epidemic. It should be a no-brainer."
Back in Manukau, Paea is contemplating the prospect of shedding half of his 180kg bodyweight. He is optimistic he will qualify for bariatric surgery and the operation will be a success.
"I have seen too many close family members die because of illnesses related to their weight," he says. "I don't want to add to the statistics.
"I also want to leave a legacy for my daughter so she doesn't go down this path either. The cycle of obesity in our family has to be broken and I have got to at least give it my best shot."
Betting on a losing streak
Veronica Tawhai, is sick of sneaking out under the cover of darkness to buy food at drive-through takeaways so no one can see how much she is really eating.
The solo mum is also fed up with people nudging each other in the aisles at supermarket and rubbernecking at the mountains of grub in her trolley.
And she is tired of her 148kg frame causing problems with her knees and making her give up playing her beloved netball.
The 42-year-old from Pukekohe, Auckland, has been overweight for 20 years and wears size 28 tops and pants. She signed up to be part of TV2 reality show The Big Ward to encourage others suffering from obesity to do something about the problem.
"After I had my second child my weight kept creeping up and it has been a struggle ever since," she says.
I was shelling out hundreds every week on weight loss programmes, but none had a lasting effect.
The primary school personal assistant has turned to food and drink to ease the pain of her depression, anxiety and loneliness for years. "It got to the stage I would buy takeaways from drive through fast food places because it is an easy way to be anonymous, no one really knows how much you are eating," she explains.
"I also get embarrassed at supermarkets when people see the size of me then start looking at what is in my trolley."
Tawhai has spent many thousands of dollars down the years trying to shed the kilos through weight-watching clubs, fad diets and exercise classes.
"I was shelling out hundreds every week on weight-loss programmes, but none had a lasting effect so I would just get more depressed.
"I also started becoming dependent on alcohol. It is all such a vicious circle and it seems like there is no way out of it." Her increasing weight also brought on osteoarthritis, which further restricted her mobility.
"Even walking had become painful and I was heading for a wheelchair," she says.
When approached to take part in The Big Ward , Tawhai at first declined because she did not want her private life aired on national television.
"But then I bumped into another woman who had applied for bariatric surgery and she said she was going on the show to help other people. That got me thinking and I realised if I can do something to inspire just one other person with the same problems as me to seek help, it will be worth it.
"There will be a lot of eyeballs on me because of the TV show and a lot of people will be checking what I am eating when I am out and about, so that will be another incentive to stick with the programme."
• The Big Ward starts on Tuesday on TV2 at 7.30pm.


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My Portfolio
I live in Dumbarton and have been making jewellery for about ten years now. I am self taught and have always loved jewellery. It started off as a hobby and now I make it and sell it. I enjoy creating different pieces of jewellery and am always trying to make something unique and different to what everyone else is wearing.