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For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.
I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Appliance freedom
At first, I didn't realize how much we depended on it and it felt like we were going to be in dire straights without it. A lot of the foods we make for the kids are often heated up in the microwave. Well, as a result, they are eating a lot less of that type of food which is probably a good thing and the ones we kept are easily prepared on the stovetop or in the oven. While I miss it occasionally, it's good to know that we have completely adapted to life without it.
Which leads me to believe that we get so accustomed to using or depending on certain appliances we get the impression that we couldn't live without it. It's been about a year since Greenpa opened my eyes to the idea of living without a refrigerator. Up until that point in time I would have told you he's nuts.
I'll still tell you he's nuts, but this was a concept that had never crossed my mind. Now, the idea seems rather normal to me, although I wouldn't go without my fridge unless I had to. I can hear the tsk-tsking from Greenpa from a thousand miles away.
This is turning into another poll week, but I might as well run with it! This one is multiple choice.
52 comments:
- Kim said...
You know...I was completely anti-microwave for a really long time. And, as such, I lived without one for a longer time. Although, I did (and do) have a small toaster oven.
My reasoning was two fold. First, it seemed to me that microwave cooking was fake cooking... I needed some sort of authenticity that stove-top/oven cooking offered when the microwave didn't. (maybe because so many of the things we are inclined to microwave are prepared "fake" foods.)
But, I was also laboring under the impression that like so many appliances (electric can opener,) it was a waste of energy.
That's when it was pointed out to me how much more incredibly efficient a microwave is than most oven cooking and than some stove top cooking.
How long does it take to bake two potatoes in my convection oven? At least 45 minutes. In my microwave? 9 minutes. The same sort of comparisons can be made for steaming vegetables stove-top vs. microwaving them. That's an incredible difference in energy consumption.
Unless I'm making some huge feast, or some other large item that will only fit in my oven...I rarely use it anymore. It's just so much more energy efficient to use the microwave or the toaster oven. Not to mention time efficient.
Now, I suppose this is all contingent on having new enough small appliances that they are energy star rated...and as such appliances that actually function as you expect them to without dropping dead when still new. - April 4, 2008 at 2:04 AM
- Robj98168 said...
I have to agree with Kim. I use my microwave to keep from using the oven. And I use my toaster oven for the same reason. And I use my Popeil Showtime rotissirie beacuase it is cheaper than cooking a roast in the oven. And I use my rice steamer because it uses less energy than cooking rice on the stove. My point is none of these items are a neccesity, but all save energy compared with a stove- no pre-heating, faster cook times.Now give me a GT Xpress Cooker, an ice cream maker and a solar oven and I will be in Hog Heaven!
Sign me- Appliance whore - April 4, 2008 at 3:04 AM
We don't have a clothes dryer since our recent move to an apartment and I miss it only a wee bit. I'm fortunate in that my best friend lives next door (indeed, she's my landlord) and I've used hers for bedsheets and cloth diapers, but the rest I hang to dry on folding racks. Once it gets above freezing, I'll hang them outside on a clothesline, including the diapers and bedsheets.
Humidifies the house and saves the planet, what could be better? - April 4, 2008 at 4:14 AM
- Howling Hill said...
We got rid of our microwave a couple years ago. I don't miss it at all.
I've always hated the way nuked food tastes and, as you said, the food you put into the microwave is not food one should be eating anyways.
I could live without most of my appliances except my washer. I rarely use the dryer, I don't have a dishwasher, and I could grill my food, but washing clothes, especially jeans, is just beyond my coping capabilities. - April 4, 2008 at 4:29 AM
- Jan said...
I voted "washer" but as I typed out my reasons I realized I COULD live without it, but would prefer not to.
- April 4, 2008 at 4:30 AM
- Wendy said...
I couldn't participate in your poll, because there isn't one of those items that I can't live without. I KNOW that I can live without all of them - especially as I live in the northeast, where we have a lot of cold months (no need for electric refrigeration, although we use it), and I have a woodstove that I could use to cook with. I've not had a microwave since we moved into this house, and while there were times that I thought it would be nice to have one, I've never succumbed to the temptation to get one, because I don't have space in my kitchen for a microwave :).
I can live without all of them, but like Jan, I find that I prefer not to. The washer is the one I would miss the most ;). - April 4, 2008 at 5:09 AM
- Jenn said...
Our microwave broke on us during the summer. At first it was a HUGE pain in the rear, but we didn't have the extra money to replace it. Now, I don't even notice that we don't have one to use. We have just addapted. And we are way better for it, I'm sure.
- April 4, 2008 at 5:11 AM
- Unknown said...
I put cooktop and washer, but Wendy reminds me that the woodstove we use for heat is perfectly good for cooking food as well. Washer is nother story, though, at least until we're through with diapers. I'm not sure how NIM managed to get through his time of handwashing diapers in the bathub, but he is a better person than I am. Once the diapers are gone, though, that, too, would become a little more expendable...
- April 4, 2008 at 5:22 AM
When our microwave finally was laid to rest we opted for a convection/microwave combo over the stove unit. I have to admit, I LOVE IT! We use 98% of the time for cooking and it is so much more energy effecient. It has a real nice micro/conv combo function that half nukes/ half bakes the food so it's done a lot quicker but you can still get the baked crispness. I don't buy any processed foods so the choice of what we cook isn't a problem, just the amount of energy to cook it.
- April 4, 2008 at 5:29 AM
- jewishfarmer said...
Like other of your readers, I voted "washer" since I do have two kids using diapers at least part of the time. But I could live without it - we don't use a fridge anymore, we have a microwave but leave it upstairs on a shelf until the occasions when we need it (and we only have it because we inherited it).
The thing is, a lot of people live without all these things, and their lives are not unmitigated misery. I guess I'm weird, but while my immediate thinking when something breaks down is "oh, damn, must fix now..." at some point, I actually get curious about what you do without it. And it almost always turns out not to be that big a deal.
Sharon - April 4, 2008 at 5:33 AM
- DC said...
We haven't had a microwave for at least a decade. Microwaved food tastes like crap. I have also read that food cooked in microwaves is chemically altered and may pose a health risk, though I don't believe there is conclusive evidence on this subject.
Also, our clothes dryer broke a few months ago, and we have been hanging up all our laundry to dry -- we even found a way to dry king sized sheets inside, which I thought would be impossible.
There is actually very little that we truly need to survive and thrive. Some things do make life more convenient, though. We really do rely on our clothes washer and conventional oven. I suppose we could get by without them, but it would be tough. - April 4, 2008 at 5:38 AM
- Chile said...
When our microwave broke a few years ago, we tried to do without. The problem was that, although I don't cook with it, I reheat with it a lot. It was using more gas to heat food on the stove than it did in the microwave. (I've noticed our gas bill has gone up since my sweetie started heating our water for coffee on the stovetop instead of in the microwave.) Reheating food in the microwave also meant less dishes, which saves water, soap, gas (to heat the water), and time. Within 2 weeks, we replaced the microwave.
I can live without a clothes washer or dryer, dish washer, and whatever the last choice was, but don't take away my fridge or microwave for now. Thanks. - April 4, 2008 at 5:55 AM
- Adrienne said...
Interesting, about living without a fridge. What about the gas you're using if you're always making extra trips for meat and other things that can't be kept around without a fridge?
I haven't had a microwave in years, and don't miss it at all. - April 4, 2008 at 6:06 AM
- Hit Pay Dirt said...
I'm with Kim. Even though I really like using a stovetop to heat food - if a food needs to be heated I now try to do it in the microwave. It's just so much more energy efficient.
I voted for the clothes washer because I seem to use ridiculous amounts of water when I hand wash. Although in retrospect, maybe I should have voted for the dishwasher because I'm absolutely certain it uses less water for dishes than I do.
Great idea for the poll! - April 4, 2008 at 6:15 AM
When I moved into my new apartment I realized some of these things. I didn't have a microwave, but realized that I only really used it to reheat leftovers and could manage that on the stovetop. I also realized before the gas was connected that I can't live without a cooktop (I had to live on salads and pizza deliveries for a few days).
(I also stopped using my fridge a couple months ago, but that's more of an ongoing experiment and might fail come summer. It's not too hard in the winter...)
As they say, invention is the mother of necessity. - April 4, 2008 at 6:51 AM
- noradawn said...
I have two words for you: Solar Oven! Don't buy one in April, but we bought one in March and it is so awesome! I love baking without turning on an appliance. Recipes can take a little longer, but really, is that such a big deal? It's also great for heating up leftovers. You can make one yourself, but check out Global Sun Ovens if you have $200 or so to spend (maybe replacing a broken micro.) They are very sturdy, go to higher temperatures, and the company does third world mission work.
- April 4, 2008 at 6:52 AM
- Chile said...
Ok, speaking of doing without a fridge, I need help. I was roasting beets last night. They weren't done when the other dish in the oven was done, so I left them in while the oven cooled. This morning, I realized I forgot about them last night so they sat in the oven all night long.
I'm pretty conscious of the 4-hour limit to prevent food poisoning but I'm not sure if roasted beets are likely to grow the bacteria involved.
What do ya'll think? Should we risk eating them? - April 4, 2008 at 6:53 AM
Chile, on the roasted beets I think you're safe, I've left mine in the oven overnight also and haven't died yet. If you're still worried toss them with some balsmaic vinegar, taste good and the vinegar should killoff any potential bacteria.
- April 4, 2008 at 7:02 AM
I rarely use my dryer. Sometimes to wash clothes I use my daugther's bathwater and just soak them (most of my husband's laundry needs some freshening he wears something once and then discards it). I wish I could find a washboard to scrub a few things. Then I spin them in the washing machine and hang them on my clothes horse in the playroom.
But I cook and bake a lot so I couldn't be without those things. Most of the time I use my toaster oven since my family of three eats very little. - April 4, 2008 at 7:11 AM
You need another box...none of the above. I used to demo hearth cooking at a living museum. I live in NH - it's 40 degrees a few feet below ground. I have many things I hand wash either because the washer doesn't do the job or it's too harsh. I love my microwave we use it for steaming veggies and cooking rice and cooking pasta - heck I am able to go all summer using only the microwave and the grill, but I could very easily adapt to not using one, especially if I had another method going already (hearth or wood cookstove type arrangement). Nope there wasn't a single thing on the list I would cry over if I lost, so I'll have to vote none of the above.
- April 4, 2008 at 7:33 AM
- Tracy G said...
I'd find it challenging to live without the clothes washer, cooktop, and refrigerator/freezer, in that order. I actually would not be able to keep my current job without the clothes washer (I'm a massage therapist, and the State of Nebraska requires a wash temperature of 140°F—hot enough to scald the skin if I attempted the "grape stomp" method).
- April 4, 2008 at 7:41 AM
- Memarie Lane said...
Last year I had to get rid of our toaster and coffeemaker. We moved into an apartment building that turned out to have a major roach infestation, and they'd chosen those two appliances to use as maternity wards. I really hate throwing stuff away, especially if it still works, but it was unsanitary. So now I use the broiler for toast, and I bought a Melitta one-cup "coffeemaker," which is like a plastic funnel you pour the water through directly into the cup. I love all the counter space I have now!
- April 4, 2008 at 7:43 AM
- Sarah said...
My point is none of these items are a neccesity, but all save energy compared with a stove- no pre-heating, faster cook times.
Sure, and I use some small appliances too. BUT I don't think their energy savings make up for the energy that was put into producing them in the first place. If you're getting used appliances then it's not so bad, but going out and buying a new rice steamer because it's more energy efficient than the stovetop is NOT doing the earth any favors. - April 4, 2008 at 7:44 AM
- Lissa said...
I could live without all of the items included in your poll, but not without drastically changing my lifestyle in ways that I'm simply not prepared to do other than for short experiments of a few weeks or a month.
I live alone in a small townhouse, but my professional life requires a certain attention to the details of appearance -- I can't afford the time of washing clothes by hand, and I don't have enough space to hang dry everything.
I travel frequently and work long hours, so generally cook once per week (if that) and eat my locally-sourced whole foods from the fridge and freezer, reheated in the toaster oven or stovetop. I have a microwave which I use only infrequently, but the others are items of necessity for me.
If I'm able to change my life, making room for another person to share the work with, or a job where I can work from home, those needs will change, but right now I'm not willing to make those alterations. - April 4, 2008 at 7:56 AM
I did without a microwave and dishwasher for about 3 months at the same time do to them dying at the same time and I thought I was ok for a while. But, being a stay at home mom with 2 kids 3 and under I really needed the microwave back. I cook 3 meals and 2 snacks every day for us all, minus hubby for lunch and snacks, and I was basically stuck in the kitchen all day either cooking or washing dishes. I use the microwave for cooking veggies, rice, etc., we eat very little processed food. Needless to say we replaced the microwave before the dishwasher. I do feel that I really tried giving up the microwave and was really ok without it for a while.....but not forever!
- April 4, 2008 at 8:01 AM
- scifichick said...
Asrai, you can get a washboard here: http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/wash.htm
I keep looking at it because I'm trying to do most of the laundry by hand, but I haven't bought one yet. - April 4, 2008 at 8:02 AM
Asrai, Better yet since the buy nothing challenge, I have 3 old ones I've either inherited or picke up at antique stores lying around. I'm willing to part with one if you want to pay for the shipping or live close enough to pick it up. let me know, you can get me by email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- April 4, 2008 at 8:14 AM
- Segwyne said...
As a child, I lived for years without a fridge, freezer, microwave, or dishwasher. We didn't have a washer or dryer either, but we went to the laundromat, so we still used them. I have lived with using the woodstove as a cooktop, though my mother never used it as an oven. We had a propane stove/oven for summertime and baking. I have washed out cloth diapers by hand for seven months before. It used to take me an hour each night to wash them in the tub. I don't know if it is because I am not used to washing by hand or because they were so dirty. Last year I hung all my clothes on the line, or in the closet with a fan if it was raining. I voted that I cannot live without a clothes washer. I know that when the time comes I will, but I wash clothes for 6 and do a load of laundry every single day, not counting the periodic sheets day. I don't know how they get their clothes so dirty every day, but most of the time I cannot say, "That didn't get very dirty, you can fold it and put it back in your dresser." I do rewear my jeans for 3 or 4 days before I wash them. I am going to hang onto my clothes washer as long as I can.
- April 4, 2008 at 8:46 AM
Can't? Well, none of them. I wouldn't *die* without them. But I do love my dishwasher, and I prefer the stovetop inside than cooking on a grill or building a fire on the driveway. ;)
- April 4, 2008 at 8:58 AM
- Catherine said...
I currently have two microwaves. The first one came with the house we bought last year and is leaking radiation according to our inspector so we never use it. It's one of those that's fixed above the stove so we're waiting to replace it but I can't stand that those things cost $300 or more. For crying out loud.
I chose the stove top although I'd hate to lose my washing machine also. And my oven. And my fridge. Oh geez. - April 4, 2008 at 9:08 AM
- ruchi said...
I put washer, but then I suddenly realized I don't even own a washer. So I'm not sure if that's what you meant, but I have zero problem going to the laundromat for clothes. (We do have laundry in my building, but the laundromat is across the street and half the time I just go there anyway.)
I wish that apartment buildings would have appliance libraries. I don't need my slow cooker every day. I need it about once a week. It would be cool if someone else could use it at other times and we could all share appliances instead of everyone having their own.
I think I could do without everything else though. The fridge would be annoying, but I could probably do it (especially if cheating was allowed and I was able to use the fridge at work.)
But in the end, I think the point for me is ... right now I think my use of appliances is very energy efficient. As other people pointed out, a microwave is more efficient than an oven. Now if my microwave conked, I would certainly not go out and get a new one, but I would definitely scour Craigslist for a used one because while I CAN do without a microwave, I know my electric bill would be higher without it. - April 4, 2008 at 9:42 AM
- homebrewlibrarian said...
I finally decided that microwaved foods made me too nervous and stopped using mine for that. I will use it every now and again to heat water for my hot water bottle if I'm feeling a bit chilly when I go to bed but otherwise it sits on a shelf unplugged.
Since I'm only cooking for myself, I'm not seeing much of an uptick in electricity usage by using the stove or oven to heat/cook foods. But then I wasn't using the microwave much anyway, certainly not daily.
Now at work, all bets are off since there's no stove top, only a microwave. I will heat up my lunch but that's not even every day. It might bother me but my choices are eating cold food or bringing in my own hotplate, pots and pans. My co-workers already look at me a bit askance now ;0
While I'm intrigued with the idea of having no refrigerator, I could live without everything on the list. It would be better if I had a woodstove so I could make a clean break but I don't. Not yet anyway.
Kerri in AK - April 4, 2008 at 10:37 AM
- Louise said...
I chose all appliances except dishwasher and clothes dryer... I don't fancy washing clothes on a washboard; I need my freezer and refrigerator or risk spoilage which is not being frugal; I have my mom ( 88) living with me and when she is ready to eat she wants it NOW so I use my microwave a lot. I do have a convection oven but find that foods cook unevenly in it.
Now had you included computer in the list... I would give up all the appliances if I can keep my computer. LOL
Louise in Alberta, Canada - April 4, 2008 at 11:13 AM
It's interesting to me that the poll shows more people can't live out a fridge than a cooktop. Hmmm. I get most of the appliances are somewhat optional. But how do you cook without a cooktop? Collect wood and cook in a fire pit? I must be missing something :)
- April 4, 2008 at 11:44 AM
i marked fridge/freezer. i have a baby and no washer/dryer in our apartment, which makes washing his diapers tricky since i'm working full-time. we have a nifty spin dryer that helps get the extra water REALLY out of his bulky diapers so they hang-dry fast. a spin dryer is a great in-between for people who want clothes dry fairly fast (especially for us that have almost zero space!) but don't want to use the time/energy/money that a heat dryer requires.
- April 4, 2008 at 11:52 AM
- Sam said...
We have been microwave free since our roommate took hers with her when she moved out. I didn't grow up with it so I don't rely on one. I have been thinking about going fridge free ever since greenasathistle mentioned it on her blog. If I make a bit more money ($10,000 more per year according to my current budget) then I could have my husband stay home permanently and thus not rely on a fridge since he'd be able to make all our meals everyday without worrying about stuff going bad. Once a month cooking wouldn't work though...
I've never had a dishwasher...so I can live without it. And we've been drying nearly all our washloads on the clothesline for over a year now. And I didn't grow up with a dryer either.
I've cooked using a woodstove and personally I prefer it (food tastes better), so I wouldn't mind going back to using a woodstove when we settle down.
I'm thinking of making a cheapo solar cooker and this summer and a more permanent one later this year so see how I can deal without the use of a conventional oven. - April 4, 2008 at 12:11 PM
- jewishfarmer said...
For cooking without a cooktop, I love my solar ovens, and in the winter we use the wood cookstove, which also heats the house. There are a number of other alternatives, including earth ovens (outdoor masonry ovens that use very small quantities of biomass) and rocket stoves. www.aprovecho.org has a lot of information on environmentally friendly cooking and heating.
Sharon - April 4, 2008 at 12:39 PM
I can live without owning a personal clothes washer (and I do), but I wouldn't want to live in an apartment complex without one.
- April 4, 2008 at 2:09 PM
uh-oh...is this related to the May challenge that CC is cooking up?
- April 4, 2008 at 2:11 PM
- Chile said...
Oh, yikes, Stella, you may be on to something!
- April 4, 2008 at 2:26 PM
- Crunchy Chicken said...
stella & chile - what I'm cooking up is far more frightening.
- April 4, 2008 at 2:42 PM
i don't think any of those things are impossible to live without... i mean, i already don't have an oven, a microwave, a dishwasher or freezer. i use a public clothes washer, but don't use the dryer. i guess the only thing is really the stovetop. but i don't use that much either, 'cause i'm both lazy and unable to cook much other than pasta, or warming up soup. people definitely do convince themselves that they need these things though... i know a lot of people who don't make changes in their lives 'cause they think they couldn't live without certain things, and are too unwilling to try.
- April 4, 2008 at 5:20 PM
cindyw - in response to your stovetop question, there is also the raw food movement. i'm an accidental raw food vegan: i hate buying and cooking meat, so i don't. i'm also lactose intolerant, so no dairy. and i don't cook, so most of my food is raw. it's really easy to adapt to, actually... and i feel a lot healthier than ever, which is a bonus, 'cause it saves me time as well.
- April 4, 2008 at 5:36 PM
i lived for many years with my only appliance as a propane burner and weekly trips to the laundromat. 5 years with either no fridge, sharing one next door, or a cooler. but also i was in hawaii where fresh food was plentiful year round, i was a vegetarian and happy drinking soy milk. now i live in lake placid,ny where there is still plenty snow on the ground. i get a delivery of raw milk every two weeks. once a month i get a delivery from a csa farmer who takes our orders for meats, eggs, frozen berries, honey, jams, etc. everything is local and without the means to preserve it, i'd be eating a lot more foods trucked in from far away. ideally i'd have a chest freezer outside. instead of cooling a box inside my heated box. crazy!
- April 4, 2008 at 8:11 PM
We gave away our microwave a couple of years ago and we've never looked back.
And I can't even remember when I last used the oven. But the toaster oven we use once in a while. We've hardly been using the burner, too, as we eat a lot of raw foods lately.
As far as washer: I grew up in a country where we had someone come in and do our laundry- by hands. In college, I usually hand-washed them myself. So I don't think I want to part with mine. (Especially when you're a family of 5, almost 6, actually.) - April 4, 2008 at 8:19 PM
- Sweetpeas said...
Obviously people lived for generations w/o any of these so I COULD live w/o them all. I think, assuming I had access to a wood-burning range, the freezer is the thing I'd have the hardest time giving up. I just SOOO prefer the taste of frozen fruits & veggies over canned & also use my freezer alot for stocking up when something basic that we use alot of goes on sale, I'll get a bunch & freeze it till we need it. (though I suppose in a world w/o any appliances, I wouldn't be shopping at stores either LOL. But still brings us back to needing to preserve fruits & vegetables in teh summer for use in the winter, and I prefer frozen (it's easier & I like the taste better LOL).
- April 5, 2008 at 5:30 AM
Hmm...I have actually lived without all of the listed appliances for varying periods, and could probably live without them again, if I were prepared. I would want a cold room/root cellar if I did not have a fridge, though. So they're all optional, really. But I would be mighty unhappy if someone took my coffeemaker or laptop away...
- April 5, 2008 at 9:03 AM
Another appliance you didn't include was the electric water kettle. I use it to prepare a hot water bottle at night in wintertime, and to make coffee/tea, and for certain foods (water for couscous, for example). Also: if you're making pasta on the cooktop and don't want the burner on so long, you can boil half the water in the electric kettle, and then add it to the half that's *slowly* coming to a boil on the stove. Much faster way to do it.
Of course, the electric kettle is only efficient if you ONLY boil the water you know you need. - April 5, 2008 at 1:56 PM
- Carpe Diem said...
We recently moved into a new home and decided that the microwave was a 'perceived need' item and didn't take the old micro with us. I haven't missed it AT ALL!
I used it mainly for defrosting, so now I plan ahead and take my freezer items out in the morning or the night before needed. - April 5, 2008 at 7:43 PM
- Robbyn said...
Where's the option on the poll for "CAN live without any of these"?
I know I'll probably get punched for saying this, but my husband and I are in agreement that we realllllyyyyyy believe microwaving food somehow alters the nutrients differently than conventional cooking does, making them sort of "non-foods," since we've found that for ourselves and many others, the taste and satisfaction in eating things microwaved is just not the same as with other sorts of cooking.
Ok, now you can throw the rotten tomatoes (ducking!) :) - April 5, 2008 at 7:45 PM
Wow, so many comments already. Will anybody even see mine?
I can live without all of them, but I'd still love to keep a very small fridge. I get unprocessed milk once a week from a local farm and it just won't keep any other way.
I can live without a microwave too, as I never cook in one. But reheating? Yes, that saves a lot of power over the cooktop not to mention less dishes washed, etc. Still I did without growing up. - April 8, 2008 at 9:03 AM
- Lee said...
I voted stove top, microwave and washing machine, but on retrospect I could live without all of them if I HAD to. They just make my life an awful lot easier being there.
As for a fridge and dryer, I would hardly miss them. And I mean it. - April 8, 2008 at 7:17 PM


text:
Well, it is still winter, but spring is coming. Soon, it will be time to get the roses going for another growing season. The days will get longer, especially when we go back on daylights saving time. It will warm up. My muse will return and I should be working on short stories again. The new person in the office will start soon and license renewals will end soon, so maybe this avalanche that's had me buried since November will let up enough to remind me that the sun is still shining out there and allow some fresh air to rush in. And maybe, one day, by the grace of God, we'll get a new pastor at church. Finally.
There is hope on the horizon. It's keeping up the momentum to get from here to there that's the challenge. Because if you want to see progress, you have to keep at it, right?
Well, the past few months have been a lot of work, so maybe slowing the pace is the right thing to do, at least for a little while. We only have so much energy, and I just spent a lot of it in an explosion to get these two works published. I'll keep doing promotional things, of course, but maybe it is time for me to back off for just a bit and take a writing break, at least. I think the short story endeavors can wait another week or two without causing the apocolypse to happen.
Yes, the crash has happened, but it's natural. Some people call it "writer's block" and get very frustrated with it, but I've been writing long enough to know that this too shall pass. I'll keep promoting. Keep blogging, of course. And I know that once my muse has an opportunity to get the rest it needs, it will start working again. And the momentum will continue.
That's all today. Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"You wouldn't believe how many managers believe that you can get a baby in one month by making nine women pregnant."
-- Marc Wilson
Well, this should be the last article in the "Introduction to Shell Scripting" series - I've had great feedback from a number of readers (and thank you all for your kind comments!), but we've covered most of the basics of shell scripting; that was the original purpose of the series. I may yet pop up at some point in the future ("Oh, rats, I forgot to explain XYZ!"), but those of you who've been following along should now consider yourselves Big-Time Experts, qualified to carry a briefcase and sound important... <grin> Well, at least you should have a pretty good idea of how to write a script and make it work - and that's a handy skill.
Quite a while ago, I found myself in a quandary while writing a script (NO-O-O! How unusual! <grins>); I had an array that contained a list of command lines that I needed to execute based on certain conditions. I could read the array easily enough, or print out any of the variables - but what I needed was to execute them! What to do, what to do... as I remember, I gave up for lack of that one capability, and rewrote the whole (quite large) script (it was not a joyful experience). "eval" would have been the solution.
Here's how it works - create a variable called $cmd, like so:
cmd='cat .bashrc|sort'
It's just an example - you could use any valid command(s). Now, you can echo the thing -
Odin:~$ echo $cmd
cat .bashrc|sort
- but how do you execute it? Just running "cmd" produces an error:
Odin:~$ $cmd
cat: .bashrc|sort: No such file or
This is where "eval" comes into its own: "eval $cmd" would evaluate the content of the variable as if it had been entered at the command line. This is not something that comes up too often... but it is a capability of the shell that you need to be aware of.
Note that "bash" has no problem executing a single command that is stored as a variable, something like:
Odin:~$ N="cat .bashrc" Odin:~$ $N # ~/.bashrc: executed by bash(1) for non-login shells. export PS1='\h:\w\$ ' umask 022works fine. It's only when more complex commands, e.g., those that involve +aliases or operators ("|", ">", ">>", etc.) are used that you would encounter problems - and for those times, "eval" is the answer.
One of the standard techniques in scripting (and in programming in general) is that of writing data to temporary files - there are many reasons to do this. But, and this is a big one, what happens when your users interrupt that script halfway through execution? (For those of you who have scripts like that and haven't thought of the issue, sorry to give you material for nightmares. At least I'll show you the solution as well.)
You guessed it: a mess. Lots of files in "/tmp", perhaps important data left hanging in the breeze (to be deleted at next reboot), files thought to be updated that are not... Yuck. How about a way for us to exit gracefully, despite a frantic keyboard-pounding user who just has to run "Quake" RIGHT NOW?
The "trap" command provides an answer of sorts (shooting said user is far more effective and enjoyable, but may get you talked about).
function cleanup ()
stty intr "" #
Ignore 'Ctrl-C'; let him pound away...
echo "Wake up,
sleep 2; clear
echo "The Matrix
has you."
echo "He's at it again."|mail admin -s "Update stopped by $USER"
# Restore the original
tar xvzf /mnt/backup/accts_recvbl
-C /usr/local/acct
# Delete 'tmp'
rm -rf /tmp/in_process/
# OK, we've taken
care of the cleanup. Now, it's REVENGE time!!!
rm /usr/games/[xs]quake
# Give him a nice
new easy-to-remember password...
chpasswd $USER:~X%y!Z@zF%HG72F8b@Idiot&(~64sfgrnntQwvff########^
# We'll back up
all his stuff... Oh, what's "--remove-files" do?
tar cvz --remove-files
-f /mnt/timbuktu/bye-bye.tgz /home/$USER
# Heh-heh-heh...
umount /mnt/timbuktu
stty intr ^C # Back
to normal
# Yep, I meant to do that... Kill/hang the shell.
trap 'cleanup' 2
There's a little of the BOfH inside every admin. <grin> (For those of you not familiar with the "BOfH Saga", this is a must read for every Unix admin; appalling and hideously funny. Search the Web.)
DON'T run this script... yes, I know it's tempting. The point of "trap" is, we can define a behavior whenever the user hits `Ctrl-Break' (or for that matter, any time the script exits or is killed) that is much more useful to us than just crashing out of the program; it gives us a chance to clean up, generate warnings, etc.
"trap" can also catch other signals; the fact is that even "kill", despite its name, does not of itself `kill' a process - it sends it a signal. The process then decides what to do with that signal (a crude description, but generally correct). If you wish to see the entire list of signals, just type "trap -l" or "kill -l" or even "killall -l" (which does not list the signal numbers, just names). The ones most commonly used are 1)SIGHUP, 2)SIGINT, 3)SIGQUIT, 9)SIGKILL, and 15)SIGTERM.
[But SIGKILL is untrappable. -Ed.]
There are also the `special' signals. They are: 0)EXIT, which traps on any exit from the shell, and DEBUG (no number assigned), which can - here's a nifty thing! - be used to troubleshoot shell scripts (it traps every time a simple command is executed). DEBUG is actually more of an "info only" item: you can have this exact action without writing any "trap"s, simply by adding "-x" to your "hash-bang" (see "IN CASE OF TROUBLE..." below).
"trap" is a powerful little tool. In LG#37, Jim Dennis had a short script fragment that created a secure directory under "/tmp" for just this sort of thing - temp files that you don't want exposed to the world. Pretty cool gadget; I've used it a number of times already.
Speaking of troubleshooting, "bash" provides several very useful tools that can help you find the errors in your script. These are switches - part of the "set" command syntax - that are used in the "hash-bang" line of the script itself. These switches are:
-n Read the
shell script lines, but do not execute
-v Print the
lines as they're read
-x Prints
$PS4 (the "level of indirection" prompt) and the command just executed.
I've found that "-nv" and "-x" are the most useful invocations: one
gives you the exact location of a "bad" line (you can see where the script
would crash); the other, `noisy' though it is, is handy for seeing where
things aren't happening quite the right way (when, even though the syntax
is right, the action is not what you want). Good troubleshooting tools
both. As time passes and you get used to the quirks of error reporting,
you'll probably use them less and less, but they're invaluable to a new
shell script writer.
To use them, simply modify the initial "hash-bang":
Here's a line familiar to every "C" programmer:
#include <"stdio.h">
- a very useful concept, that of sourcing external files. What that means is that a "C" programmer can write routines (functions) that he'll use over and over again, store them in a `library' (an external file), and bring them in as he needs them. Well - have I not said that shell scripting is a mature, capable programming language? - we can do the same thing! The file doesn't even have to be executable; the syntax that we use in bringing it in takes care of that. The example below is a snippet of the top of my function library, "Funky". Currently, it is a single file, a couple of kB long, and growing apace. I try to keep it down to the most useful functions, as I don't want to garbage up the environment space (is the concept even applicable in Linux? Must find out...)
There's a tricky little bit of "bash" maneuvering that's worth knowing: if you create a variable called BASH_ENV in your .bash_profile, like so:
export BASH_ENV="~/.bash_env"
then create a file called ".bash_env" in your home directory, that file will be re-read every time you start a `non-login non-interactive shell', i.e., a shell script. A good place to put initialization stuff that is shell-script specific; that's where I source "Funky" from - that way, any changes in it are immediately available to any shell script.
cat /usr/local/bin/Funky|grep
getch () #
gets one char from kbd, no "Enter" necessary
stty cbreak -echo
GETCH=`dd if=/dev/tty
bs=1 count=1 2>/dev/null`
stty $OLD_STTY
Not too different from a script, is it? No "hash-bang" is necessary, since this file does not get executed by itself. So, how do we use it in a script? Here it is (we'll pretend that I don't source "Funky" in ".bash_env"):
. Funky
declare -i Total=0
leave ()
echo "So youse
are done shoppin'?"
[ $Total -ne 0
] && echo "Dat'll be $Total bucks, pal."
echo "Have a nice
trap 'leave' 0
while [ 1 ]
echo "Whaddaya
want? I got Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Onions,"
echo "and Radishes
# Here's where we
call a sourced function...
# ...and reference
a variable created by that function.
case $GETCH
C|c) Total=$Total+1; echo "Them are good cukes." ;;
T|t) Total=$Total+2; echo "Ripe tomatoes, huh?" ;;
L|l) Total=$Total+2; echo "I picked da lettuce myself." ;;
O|o) Total=$Total+1; echo "Fresh enough to make youse cry!" ;;
R|r) Total=$Total+2; echo "Real crispy radishes." ;;
*) echo "Ain't got nuttin' like that today, mebbe tomorra." ;;
sleep 2
Note the period before "Funky": that's an alias for the "source" command. When sourced, "Funky" acquires an interesting property: just as if we had asked "bash" to execute a file, it goes out and searches the path listed in $PATH. Since I keep "Funky" in "/usr/local/bin" (part of my $PATH), I don't need to give an explicit path to it.
If you're going to be writing shell scripts, I strongly suggest that you start your own `library' of functions. (HINT: Steal the functions from the above example!) Rather than typing them over and over again, a single "source" argument will get you lots and lots of `canned' goodies.
Well - overall, lots of topics covered, some "quirks" explained; all
good stuff, useful shell scripting info. There's a lot more to it - remember,
this series was only an introduction to shell scripting - but anyone
who's stuck with me from the beginning and persevered in following my brand
of pretzel-bending logic (poor fellows! irretrievably damaged, not even
the best psychologist in the world can help you now... :) should now be
able to design, write, and troubleshoot a fairly decent shell script. The
rest of it - understanding and writing the more complex, more involved
scripts - can only come with practice, otherwise known as "making lots
of mistakes". In that spirit, I wish you all lots of "mistakes"!
Happy Linuxing!
Communities will fight to defend
themselves. People will fight harder and more bitterly to defend
their communities, than they will fight to defend their own individual
-- Bruce Sterling, "Hacker Crackdown"
The "man" pages for 'bash', 'builtins', 'stty'
"Introduction to Shell Scripting - The Basics", LG #53
"Introduction to Shell Scripting", LG #54
"Introduction to Shell Scripting", LG #55
"Introduction to Shell Scripting", LG #57


text:
27 Years Ago: Tool Conjure Up Spirituality + Anger With 'Ænima'
"Learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim, learn to swim…"
On Oct. 1, 1996 (Sept. 17 on vinyl), Tool unleashed one of their career-defining albums, Ænima, an essential release for the golden age of '90s alternative rock. Before Ænima went on to sell more than 3 million copies in the U.S. alone, Tool were known primarily has a hard rock band with a penchant for heavy grooves, expressing anger and exploring dark subject matter. With the introduction of Ænima, however, prior psychedelic nuance became a full-on trip while songs became longer and increasingly dense.
Though there may have been a shift in focus, Tool's dry yet flippant scatological humor remained constant. The album title itself refers to psychologist Carl Jung's own term for the soul, "anima." Throw in the alternate name for an anal douche and you wind up with the heavily digested Ænima. "It's about change, cleaning out the house to refurbish or redecorate and start over," frontman Maynard James Keenan told Carrie Borzillo in a 1996 interview.
That change may not have been instantly noticeable once fans popped Ænima into their CD players, as the opening track, "Stinkfist," seemingly picks up where Tool's previous release, Undertow, left off three years previous. Ænima really begins to take its own shape once the massively distorted "Eulogy" and soul stirring "H." creep into the listener's ears. The two tracks act as heavy breaths of sonic meditation, offering a highly sophisticated sense of calm which branches off from Tool's trademark intensity like a fraternal twin.
Tool, "Stinkfist" Music Video
Drummer Danny Carey specifically grabbed the near-religious Tool fans with his performance on the first three Ænima tracks, expanding his comprehensive kit even further by using electronic pads, most notably the Simmons SDX. "The zone intelligence on those pads is amazing," Carey told Matt Peiken in 1997. "With just a multitude of options and parameters, and there's no limit with whatever I want to do in terms of dynamics or blending sounds." Carey's experimentation offered seemingly endless possibilities for the ever-opening third eye of Tool and raised his own status as a modern day master of percussion.
Ænima also marked the introduction of bassist Justin Chancellor, who was welcomed into the fold after Paul D'Amour's leave in 1995. Chancellor took to his instrument as a pure bassist, embracing the smooth, swirling elements of the bass compared to D'Amour's more abrasive, guitar-like attack.
Chancellor's new influence is apparent on "Forty Six & 2," which the bassist had a heavy hand in composing. Twenty-one years after its release, "Forty Six & 2" is still one of Tool's most discussed songs among fans, with the most popular theory being the subject of human evolution. Current human DNA contains 44 autosomes and 2 sex chromosomes, and touching on Carl Jung once again, "Forty Six & 2" chronicles the next step in evolution to 46 autosomes.
Tool, "Forty Six & 2" Live in 1996
After branching out to subjects most bands would never dare touch, Tool brought it back to anger on "Hooker with a Penis." The song's story tells itself while Maynard barks the words, "I met a boy wearing Vans, 501s, and a Dope Beastie tee, nipple rings, and new tattoos that claimed that he was OGT (Original Gangsta Tool) back in '92 from the first EP." After being accused of selling out by the gentleman, Maynard replies in tongue-in-cheek fashion, "I sold out long before you ever heard my name."
After two interludes and the traumatic "Jimmy," Ænima dives into the 10-minute opus "Pushit," one of many tracks where guitarist Adam Jones really shines. Jones' guitar buzzes through a hypnotic and unconventional (even for Tool) riff in 3/4 before spending much of "Pushit" brilliantly controlling feedback through his monstrous pedal board.
The wormhole weaving of "Pushit" is almost a giant crescendo meant to bring Keenan's cry of "I must persuade you another way" to its utmost peak. It's one of the moments Tool fans await an entire show, and once the band's instrumental section drops out, Keenan's soaring high note imparts a feeling of weightlessness only to spike the listener back to earth with, "Remember I'll always love you, as I claw your fucking throat away."
Tool, "Pushit"
The pseudo-title track of Ænima, "Ænema," tips a hat toward legendary comedian Bill Hicks, who had passed away from pancreatic cancer two years earlier. Hicks and the collective consciousness of Tool seemed to be kindred spirits, and the brainstorming of both minds resulted in "Ænema," a good-riddance letter written to the city of Los Angeles.
Once again, Tool's precise dissection of the very nature of anger remerges as Maynard Keenan unleashes a flurry of f-bombs and wills L.A. into the Pacific Ocean, "Cause I'm praying for rain / And I'm praying for tidal waves / I wanna see the ground give way / I wanna watch it all go down."
Ænima finishes up with the near 14-minute "Third Eye," a somewhat unheralded opus of Tool's career. Also inspired by a Bill Hicks bit, "Third Eye" speaks to a lost means of perception in today's culture. "You literally have a third eye in your head," Keenan explained in a 1996 interview.
"It's your pineal gland and it is an eye. It focuses light. People talk about dolphins and whales being more evolved, because they have a better breathing element. If you do meditation, you understand the idea of the Prana, breathing in light through the pineal gland. In mythology, there's talk about how people used to breathe that way, but over time, they began to breathe more through the mouth.
That's the connection that we've forgotten … Your consciousness is like a radio frequency. If you turn the dial, all those radio stations are there simultaneously. You can dial in to hear what station you want to hear. Consciousness is the same way. Through meditation, you can alter that, you can come upon an alternate reality. Drugs is a shortcut to that. The trick is to really understand the medium you used to get there."
To this day, no band sounds quite like Tool. Furthermore, no Tool album sounds quite like Ænima. It's an enigma never to be replicated, the blueprint pieced together by the hand of nature and hidden away after the fact. Brilliant from beginning to end, Tool's Ænima remains just as relevant, fresh and celebrated as it was in 1996.


text:
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text: Blades, You may want to check the article "NIH Weighs Bold Plan for Online Preprint Publishing" in the March 12th issue of Science. -Mike- blades at novagate.com wrote in message <7cr3i9$p3s$0 at 126.96.36.199>... >Russ, I understand your concern, and agree with what you proposed. It >personally hasn't bothered me in my research, but I can imagine how it could. > I haven't used the MESH terms at all, instead relying on specific nouns >relating to my disease in searching MedLine. > >My overriding concern is the fact that PubMed will not allow downloading of >journal articles unless one is a "health professional" and has a signed >contract with a "local health science library" defining costs, methods of >payment, and method of delivery. > >This policy denies inexpensive access to medical information often funded by >public tax monies through NIH or through publicly funded universities. This >is outrageous. Physicians and journals have a self interest in keeping >information from the public, and they succeed only too well. ... >edited for brevity.... >blades >


text:
June 28, 2013
• Richard Matheson, whose brilliant novel "I Am Legend" was made into a mediocre Will Smith movie that completely missed the entire point, died this week at age 87. Read the book.
• Big deal. My office has never not served beer. On weekends too.
• There were tons of GIF-able moments in the "Mad Men" season finale, but this was my favorite.
• I didn't have any plans last Friday night, so I was just thrilled to be part of this guy's tweeting.
• There are lots of amazing Byron Buxton stats, but I'll put this one up against any of them.
• Congrats to Tom Pelissero for his new gig at USA Today. Vikings fans were lucky to have his in-depth coverage at 1500ESPN.com.
• Glen Perkins was distraught after being left out of last week's Link-O-Rama, so now I'm just mentioning his name to keep the Twins' closer happy. Look how cute he is!
• Kirby Puckett, Harmon Killebrew, Jim Thome, Paul Molitor, and the best old hitters in Twins history.
• I'm very pleased to have inspired someone to be inspired by Mase.
• Speaking of Mase, once the Blackhawks fans in Wrigleyville celebrating their Stanley Cup win started playing "Mo Money Mo Problems" the barriers had no chance:
Almost makes me wish I cared about hockey.
• Bobby Bland, a great and underrated soul singer from the 1960s and 1970s, died this week at age 83. Jay-Z heavily sampled his song "Ain't No Love In the Heart of the City" back in 2001.
• I'll be reading this for the articles.
• This week's reminder that I went to journalism school.
• Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com put together a lengthy, well-done oral history of the 2003 NBA draft, which produced one of the most valuable classes of all time. And also Darko Milicic.
• During my weekly half-hour chat with Paul Allen we stopped talking Twins when Flip Saunders called in. I even asked him a question (sort of), but he didn't hint at last night's madness.
• As a devoted "Chopped" fan this news made me smile.
• Gotta be a top five couple of all time in terms of most combined talent in the same field.
• Manny Machado is 20 years old and on pace for the most doubles of all time.
• "The Sopranos" creator David Chase gave an incredible eulogy for James Gandolfini.
• On this week's "Gleeman and The Geek" episode we discussed Kyle Gibson's call-up and lots of Twins stuff, but then spent way too long analyzing our respective plans for a zombie apocalypse.
• Jerry Seinfeld was on Howard Stern's show for a 90-minute interview and it was great:
I grew up obsessively listening to Stern back when Seinfeld first got his television show and then angrily stopped coming on Stern, so the ease with which they reconnected made me happy.
• Oh nothing, just a picture of young Paulie Walnuts from "The Sopranos."
• John Mulaney on dating a Jewish woman is pretty great.
• Julie Klausner's latest podcast episode was basically perfect. She covered two of my favorite topics, Tony Soprano and hating to talk on the phone, and then had on two excellent guests in Chiara Atik and Kat Dennings.
• AG.com reader Liz Rudolph is doing her master's thesis on sports fans and Twitter, so she's looking for people to help her by filling out this survey.
• Not gonna lie, this was one of my most painful breakups.
• Multiple-time AG.com sponsor of the week Curt's Salsa was recently featured in Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
• Some of this week's weird and random search engine queries that brought people here:
- "Baseball blogs"
- "Cuddyer groupies"
- "How long to lose tenths of a pound?"
- "Terry Francona girlfriend"
- "Stan Rizzo shirtless"
- "Troy Aikman has an ugly personality"
- "Alison Brie wearing glasses"
- "Joe Mauer switch-hitter"
- "Obsessed with podcasts"
- "Kevin Love boxers or briefs?"
- "Fat guy asleep"
• Finally, in honor of Wednesday's news this week's AG.com-approved music video is "Let's Get Married" by Al Green:
This week's blog content is sponsored by Curt's Salsa, a locally owned salsa company that believes in fresh ingredients and rooting for the little guy. Please support them for supporting AG.com.


text:
What's the most important trait you'd like to develop in your child? If you're like most parents, intelligence is probably at the top of your list. We all want bright, smart children, which is why we spend so much time choosing the right schools and making sure teachers are exceeding expectations. But remember: as a parent, you have the power to boost your children's learning potential simply by making books an integral part of their lives.
We all know reading to our kids is a good thing—but are you familiar with the specific advantages your toddler or preschool-age child can receive by being exposed to the merits of reading? Below are some benefits that highlight the importance of reading to your child between the ages of two and five.
1. A stronger relationship with you. As your child grows older, he'll be on the move—playing, running, and constantly exploring his environment. Snuggling up with a book lets the two of you slow down and recaptures that sweet, cuddly time you enjoyed when he was a baby. Instead of being seen as a chore or a task, reading will become a nurturing activity that will bring the two of you closer together.
2. Academic excellence. One of the primary benefits of reading to toddlers and preschoolers is a higher aptitude for learning in general. Numerous studies have shown that students who are exposed to reading before preschool are more likely to do well in all facets of formal education. After all, if a student struggles to put together words and sentences, how can he be expected to grasp the math, science, and social concepts he'll be presented with when he begins elementary school?
3. Basic speech skills. Throughout toddler-hood and preschool, your child is learning critical language and enunciation skills. By listening to you read One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, your child is reinforcing the basic sounds that form language. "Pretend reading"—when a toddler pages through a book with squeals and jabbers of delight—is a very important pre-literacy activity. As a preschooler, your child will likely begin sounding out words on his own.
4. The basics of how to read a book. Children aren't born with an innate knowledge that text is read from left to right, or that the words on a page are separate from the images. Essential pre-reading skills like these are among the major benefits of early reading.
5. Better communication skills. When you spend time reading to toddlers, they'll be much more likely to express themselves and relate to others in a healthy way. By witnessing the interactions between the characters in the books you read, as well as the contact with you during story time, your child is gaining valuable communication skills.
6. Mastery of language. Early reading for toddlers has been linked to a better grasp of the fundamentals of language as they approach school age.
7. More logical thinking skills. Another illustration of the importance of reading to children is their ability to grasp abstract concepts, apply logic in various scenarios, recognize cause and effect, and utilize good judgment. As your toddler or preschooler begins to relate the scenarios in books to what's happening in his own world, he'll become more excited about the stories you share.
8. Acclamation to new experiences. As your child approaches a major developmental milestone or a potentially stressful experience, sharing a relevant story is a great way to help ease the transition. For instance, if your little one is nervous about starting preschool, reading a story dealing with this topic shows her that her anxiety is normal.
9. Enhanced concentration and discipline. Toddlers may initially squirm and become distracted during story time, but eventually they'll learn to stay put for the duration of the book. Along with reading comprehension comes a stronger self-discipline, longer attention span, and better memory retention, all of which will serve your child well when she enters school.
10. The knowledge that reading is fun! Early reading for toddlers helps them view books as an indulgence, not a chore. Kids who are exposed to reading are much more likely to choose books over video games, television, and other forms of entertainment as they grow older.
Books have the power to benefit toddlers and preschoolers in a myriad of ways. As a parent, reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to prepare him with a foundation for academic excellence.


text: We are delighted you want to join our fantastic, global Shopware community. We will now take you through the installation process step by step. If you have any queries, simply take a look in our forum, give us a call on 00 800 746 7626 0 (free of charge) or send us an email.


text:
The front of this card looks conservative enough that you wouldn't know it was sold in the decade when greeting cards went bonkers and beatniks and sputniks and all other kinds of alternative living spaces and lifestyles expressed themselves via them. But when he opened it up Dad would have seen that this card was very much of its era given that the choice that the saccharine sweet angel tot offers her dad inside is one between TV dinners.
Dad's choices most likely would have been Swanson's chicken and turkey or beef, all with vegetables swimming in a butter sea.
Here I am with my father Father's Day, 1957, whipping back to shore to get ready for dinner.
My mom cooked that night but I'm pretty sure my dad would have chosen the Salisbury Steak with gravy, whipped potatoes, peas in seasoned sauce and peach cake cobbler. After dinner, I'm pretty sure I used the aluminum tray to organize my marbles into teams for some sport I made up to play with my dad on his big day.


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Finance[BlackScholesGamma] - compute the Gamma of a European-style option with given payoff
Calling Sequence
BlackScholesGamma(, K, T, sigma, r, d, optiontype)
BlackScholesGamma(, P, T, sigma, r, d)
algebraic expression; initial (current) value of the underlying asset
algebraic expression; strike price
algebraic expression; time to maturity
algebraic expression; volatility
algebraic expression; continuously compounded risk-free rate
algebraic expression; continuously compounded dividend yield
operator or procedure; payoff function
call or put; option type
The Gamma of an option or a portfolio of options is the sensitivity of the Delta to changes in the value of the underlying asset
The BlackScholesGamma command computes the Gamma of a European-style option with the specified payoff function.
The parameter is the initial (current) value of the underlying asset. The parameter T is the time to maturity in years.
The parameter K specifies the strike price if this is a vanilla put or call option. Any payoff function can be specified using the second calling sequence. In this case the parameter P must be given in the form of an operator, which accepts one parameter (spot price at maturity) and returns the corresponding payoff.
The sigma, r, and d parameters are the volatility, the risk-free rate, and the dividend yield of the underlying asset. These parameters can be given in either the algebraic form or the operator form. The parameter d is optional. By default, the dividend yield is taken to be 0.
The Finance[BlackScholesGamma] command was introduced in Maple 15.
For more information on Maple 15 changes, see Updates in Maple 15.
First you compute the Gamma of a European call option with strike price 100, which matures in 1 year. This will define the Gamma as a function of the risk-free rate, the dividend yield, and the volatility.
In this example you will use numeric values for the risk-free rate, the dividend yield, and the volatility.
You can also use the generic method in which the option is defined through its payoff function.
Here are similar examples for the European put option.
In this example, you will compute the Gamma of a strangle.
See Also
Finance[AmericanOption], Finance[BermudanOption], Finance[BlackScholesDelta], Finance[BlackScholesPrice], Finance[BlackScholesRho], Finance[BlackScholesTheta], Finance[BlackScholesVega], Finance[EuropeanOption], Finance[ImpliedVolatility], Finance[LatticePrice]
Hull, J., Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives, 5th. edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003.
Download Help Document


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A haven of peace at the gateway to the Red City
In the heart of Morocco, our Club Med Marrakech la Palmeraie Resort stands around a vast pool bordered by beautiful olive trees. The long and grandiose entrance, the oriental lights and orange blossom scent provides a promising and striking arrival. Make your royal entrance into the Riad, our Club Med Exclusive Collection Space, conveniently located north of the Resort where all your desires will be fulfilled by our tailored and all-inclusive services. Within the Oriental garden surroundings, challenge your friends at the driving range, practice your drop shots on the clay tennis courts, or reach for the stars swinging on the flying trapeze.


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7" 24-bit true colour, clear type resistive touchscreen multimedia player with easy smartphone connectivity via a simple USB cable. Bluetooth and a 13-band GEQ
Powerful entertainment for your car.
The AVH-A7100BT goes from 1-DIN to 7" of full-on car entertainment in seconds. When the large touchscreen folds out, this multimedia player lets you connect to a compatible iPhone or Android phone using a single USB cable from your dashboard in a convenient and safe way.
Additionally, this car AV player features Bluetooth, allowing you to stream your music or call hands-free over a wireless connection.
AppRadio Mode +AppRadio Mode + opens up in-car entertainment to a wonderful world of apps to enjoy using iPhone and Android smartphones (Not all Android devices are compatible), utilising a single USB cable connection method.
Bluetooth®Obey local driving laws with built-in Bluetooth (HFP). Wide Band Speech hands-free calling, wireless audio streaming (A2DP) with artist, album, and song search, simple pairing, and control audio (AVRCP), Bluetooth® wireless technology has made life in the vehicle safer and more convenient.
7" Clear Type Resistive Motorised TouchscreenPioneer Clear Type Resistive display panels are designed for beautiful crisp and detailed reproduction with enhanced visibility.
Made for iPod / iPhoneDirectly control your iPod / iPhone, for charging, music and video via an optional interface cable (sold separately), depending on your iOS device. Song, artist, time and album information are beautifully displayed on the touchscreen.
USB InputPlug in, charge and connect your USB connected device, to enjoy music. (no video playback)
Camera InputKeep an eye on your backside to keep your family safe and manoeuvre more easily in tight spaces
SpotifyWith Spotify, just connect your smartphone to comfortably browse your favourite playlists, albums, tracks and artists using your headunit controls.
MIXTRAXMIXTRAX keeps the party going with a non-stop mix of your music library complete with a range of DJ-inspired effects and club-style illumination.
FLACEnjoy FLAC lossless digital audio files in your vehicle with playback output at CD quality, without the need to convert.
13-band Graphical EQAdjust your audio output in detail for a music experience tailored to your preferences.
Multi colour illuminationMatch the display and key illumination to your vehicle's interior lighting with a range of endless colour combinations.
Anti theft detachable panelProtect yourself against theft


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Payday Lending Bill in Trouble
Efforts to increase the regulation of payday lenders in Texas could be in trouble, as consumer groups fight for stricter lending rules than those being proposed in legislation.
Senate Bill 1247, by state Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, would establish new regulatory guidelines for lenders that offer payday and auto title loans. Short term lenders, which offer small loans with high interest rates and expensive fees, have long been the subject of ire from critics who say the services target low-income borrowers and charge exorbitant prices. But the industry's defenders say that the loans allows low-income borrowers financial flexibility.
Among other things, Carona's proposal would limit the maximum size of loans to a percentage of the borrower's monthly income and cap the number of times a borrower could roll over outstanding loans.
The initial version of the bill elicited measured praise from consumer groups. But that support has eroded amid concerns that the bill's consumer protections have been watered down and that key provisions have been replaced by language favored by industry trade groups.
"It's been pretty touch-and-go for the past couple of weeks," said Don Baylor, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an Austin-based liberal think tank, who is involved in negotiations to reinstate consumer protections in the measure.
"The last version that was in the committee has caused a lot of the consumer groups to pull back," Baylor said. "A lot of the industry actually testified in support of the bill."
The Consumer Service Alliance of Texas, a trade organization representing short-term lenders, declined to comment for this story. In a previously prepared statement, the organization said it supports "meaningful, effective regulation of consumer borrowing in Texas."
"CSAT has unfailingly supported efforts during this year's legislative session to create a safety net for those borrowers who unfortunately fall chronically behind in their ability to repay their debts," the statement said.
In 2011, legislators increased state oversight of payday and auto-title lenders, requiring the businesses to be licensed and to clearly display a list of fees.
During the current legislative session, lawmakers proposed additional regulations. Former House speaker, state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, filed a measure that would extend already existing rules for small loans to the auto title and payday lending business.
Most of payday lending bills, so far, have been left pending in committee, but SB 1247 has received the lion's share of attention from both reformers and the industry.
Last week, a new version of the bill appeared that consumer advocates argue weakened many of the consumer protections.
In the original bill, a payday loan taken on within five days of a previous loan was considered refinancing – a rule intended to prevent borrowers from rolling over their loans ad infinitum, paying more fees and interest.
Consumer activists wanted a period of seven days, but the revised bill would reduce the required gap to two days.
In the original bill, the size of some payday loans was capped at 15 percent of monthly income for those making less than $28,000 a year, and 20 percent for those making more. In the new version of the bill, those limits are set at 30 percent and 40 percent, respectively.
Baylor said the new monthly limits simply explicitly allow current practices.
"It's kind of akin to putting a 75 mile-per-hour speed limit on a residential road," he said. "You can say it's a limit, but it's not going to make anybody safer."
Complicating matters, the new state regulations would trump city ordinances that regulate short-term lending. Since 2011, several Texas cities, including Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso, have passed regulations that are more restrictive than the current version of SB 1247. If the bill passes, restrictions on payday lending would be relaxed in such areas.
San Antonio City Councilman Diego Bernal testified against the bill on March 19. He told the Senate Business and Commerce Committee that the bill would "significantly weaken" the city's regulatory structure.
Despite concerns over the new version of the bill, consumer advocates praised Carona.
Ann Baddour, a senior policy analyst at Texas Appleseed, a social advocacy organization, said that Carona and his staff had "worked very hard to push payday and auto title businesses to accept meaningful reform."
The payday lending industry wields a large amount of political influence in the Legislature, having donated more than $2 million during the 2012 election cycle, including more than $300,000 to House Speaker Joe Straus, according to the political watchdog group Texans for Public Justice.
But alterations to the bill could cost the support of legislators who seek reform. The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Mike Villareal, D-San Antonio, testified at the March 19 committee hearing that he didn't believe the new version would provide adequate protection for consumers.
The Senate Business and Commerce Committee could vote on the bill as soon as next week.
Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here.
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Learn about The Texas Tribune's policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.


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One example from the revised Code of Conduct of a comment that will now be considered "rude" is "You could google this in 5 seconds."
Indeed, my usual comment for cases like this is the relatively neutral [I downvoted because research must be done to ask a good question](http://idownvotedbecau.se/noresearch/)
This raises an interesting question, though: what if they could have found the answer in 5 seconds on Google Search? In cases like this, is it wrong to point out the obvious? I've seen plenty of questions where literally copying and pasting their question title into Google Search gives dozens - or even hundreds - of high-quality results. Granted, this comment kind of implies that the OP is being lazy, but really, aren't they?
Put differently: couldn't you argue that implying that someone is being lazy isn't as bad as actually being lazy?


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by C.J. Scott
Series: A Summer in Winter Novel 1
Publication Date: August 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Kate Bell isn't perfect. Not even close. The things she got up to in college would cause her parents to fall off their pedestals in shock. Home for the summer vacation, Kate settles in for a long, boring break in the tiny backwater of Winter with folks who still treat her like she's twelve.
Then Ben Parker arrives and suddenly Winter gets interesting. He's hot, mysterious and good with his hands. Kate falls for him instantly, but her cop father warns her to stay away. But how can she stay away from someone as compelling as Ben? Someone who thinks she's perfect just the way she is?
When Ben's secrets catch up to him, not only is Kate's heart in danger of being broken, but Ben's entire future could be ruined.
RUIN is a new adult contemporary romance intended for mature readers. It contains strong language and sexual situations.
C.J. loves reading stories that take her away to another world. If she's in the middle of an amazing book, she'll keep reading while cooking or cleaning (when she can be bothered doing either).
She likes interesting artwork but can't paint, sketch or make anything more complicated than a snowman from plasticine. She enjoys beautiful gardens but hates gardening. She also hates housework, cooking (see above) and writing about herself.
C.J. loves connecting with readers. The best place to interact with her and other fans is via her Facebook page. That's where she posts teasers and other stuff from her books.


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Bloatware is generally considered harmless, but what about when these unnecessary apps turn into a security risk? A recent report shows that a pre-installed app in some versions of Windows 10 had an alarming plugin flaw:
Tavis Ormandy, a researcher from Google's Project Zero, recently discovered that a compromised password management app, Keeper, had been installed with some versions of Windows 10. For a brief period, Keeper's browser extension, when enabled, allowed websites to easily steal login credentials.
Users became exposed only if they have activated the plugin during Keeper's setup process, or manually activated it in their browser. In response to Ormandy's report, the Keeper team released a new version that fixes the security vulnerability, therefore addressing the issue once the software is up to date.
Although the issue was patched in a week, thousands of these third-party applications are added to laptops every day. This incident again highlights just how cautious individuals and businesses need to be in finding security vulnerabilities when purchasing computer hardware.
Why unwanted bloatware needs to go
Computer manufacturers make money installing third-party software along with Windows to laptops and PCs. Vendors pay to have their bloatware — such as trial versions of antivirus programs, video games, and browser toolbars — installed on new computers in hopes that people will purchase the full programs. In reality, bloatware slows down your computer, takes up disk space, and sometimes puts you at risk.
Thankfully, Microsoft has included an easy way to get rid of bloatware in Windows 10.
- Click the start menu, then the gear icon in the bottom right
- In the settings window, select Update & Security
- On the left-hand side, click Recovery
- Select 'Learn how to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows' and follow the instructions.
Bloatware not only clutters your PCs and laptops, but it can leave your business vulnerable to compromise as well. Don't make this security mistake; learn more about protecting your computers from bloatware, and save yourself from tons of headaches down the line. Call our team of IT experts today!


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Huzzah! The project that my wife Claire and I have been working on for nine months has come to fruition! Maybe I'm not releasing a song about her like Jay-Z, but I couldn't be happier to have a 6 pound 14.5 oz baby daughter. Her name is Ramona Lua Joyce Johnson, and we welcomed her into this world at 2:32 AM this morning.
She's already doing some serious daddy-daughter bonding. She napped her way through the NCAA BCS championship football game on my chest. She shares her mother's uncanny ability to be lulled to sleep by the ol' pigskin. Stay tuned for more adventures of Ramona the baby. As you might guess, she's already been the recipient of some pretty amazing crafty gifts.


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Let us manage your Charlottesville commercial property.
Marketing a commercial property for rent or lease is important because it helps attract potential tenants or lessees interested in the property. Without effective marketing, the property may go unoccupied for a longer period of time, which can result in lost income for the owner.
Effective marketing can also help increase the property's value by demonstrating its appeal to potential tenants or lessees. This can make the property more attractive to potential buyers if the owner decides to sell the property in the future.
In addition, marketing a commercial property can create a sense of excitement and interest around the property, which can generate buzz and attract more potential tenants or lessees. This can be especially important if the property is in a competitive market or if other similar properties are available for rent or lease in the area.
Overall, marketing a commercial property for rent or lease is an important part of attracting and retaining tenants or lessees, maximizing the property's value, and ensuring the property is a successful investment.
Marketing a commercial property for rent or lease can involve a variety of tactics and strategies to attract potential tenants or lessees.
Fill out the form above and we will be in touch. Want immediate help? Call us at 434.326.4786 to get started now!
Get In Touch With Us
Fill out the form below and we will be in touch. Want immediate help? Call us at 434.326.4786.
Owner or Tenant?
We Have Three Goals When Managing Your Charlottesville Commercial Rental Property.
Maximize profitability
Keep operating expenses low without sacrificing tenant satisfaction
Build value by protecting your investment
Areas We Serve
Don't see your neighborhood? These are just a few cities and communities we offer management services to. Contact us if you don't see yours; we are always looking to expand!
- Charlottesville
- Earlysville
- Barboursville
- Louisa
- Ruckersville
- Waynesboro
- Palmyra
- Crozet
- Keswick
- Troy
- Zion Cross Roads
- Gordonsville
- North Garden


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Les Mills Warranty
At Les Mills Merchandise Limited (Les Mills) we ensure that LES MILLS™ branded fitness equipment is the highest quality. This includes the SMARTSTEP™ bench and risers, the SMARTBAR™ barbell and weights plates, SMARTBAND™, MBX MAT™ , Don Oliver barbells, CXWORX™ tubes and VIVE™ balls.
If you wish to make a warranty claim with respect to any equipment you've purchased from Les Mills or one of our authorised distributors, please complete our standard warranty claim form.
Please note that each of the products referred to above comes with its own unique warranty terms and conditions. For more information on the warranty terms applying to a specific product, please refer to your local authorised distributor of LES MILLS™ branded equipment products.
If you are a private consumer purchasing equipment for your personal, domestic use, you are entitled to the applicable legal rights stated in your national legislation concerning the commerce of consumer goods. The equipment warranties do not restrict these rights. However, please be aware that these rights do not apply if you are purchasing the equipment for business/commercial purposes.
General warranty terms
Les Mills' equipment warranties are valid only in countries where Les Mills has an authorized equipment distributor. They cover manufacturing faults occurring during the warranty period in equipment purchased from Les Mills or a distributor authorized by Les Mills. The warranty applies only to the original purchaser and does not cover second hand equipment or re-sold equipment. The equipment must remain in the possession of the original buyer/owner and bear the original manufacturer's serial number (where applicable). The warranty period commences from the date on which the original buyer purchases the equipment. Warranty repairs will not extend the warranty period.
Les Mills' equipment warranties cover only failures due to manufacturing faults that occur during normal use. They do not extend to faults resulting from normal wear, misuse, abuse, corrosion, damage incurred during loading or transportation, where the equipment has been used other than as recommended by Les Mills or modified without the consent of Les Mills or improper storage.
Les Mills' equipment warranties are invalid where the equipment does not bear its original manufacturer's serial number sticker or similar identifier or where such sticker or identifier has been removed, altered or tampered with in any way.
Neither Les Mills nor its authorized equipment distributors will be liable for any defects due to reasons beyond their control or for consequential damages or for breach of any implied warranty on the range of Equipment.
Claim Process
In the event that you wish to make a warranty claim, please complete and submit the warranty claim form, ensuring you complete all the relevant fields. If incomplete information is provided, this may delay the processing of your warranty claim. The Warranty Claim Form will be sent to your local Les Mills' Equipment distributor for assessment and follow up.
Enquiries regarding warranties should be made to your local Les Mills equipment distributor in the first instance. Contact us for any further inquiries.


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Are the guitars in the beginner kits suitable for all ages?
Yes, our beginner kits are suitable for all ages. The guitars are designed to be comfortable and easy to play, making them suitable for both young learners and adults.
Do the beginner kits come with an instruction manual?
Yes, each beginner kit includes an instruction manual to help you get started. The manual provides guidance on assembling the guitar, using the amplifier, and basic playing techniques.
Can I upgrade the components of the beginner kit in the future?
Absolutely! Our beginner kits are designed to grow with you as you progress in your musical journey. You can upgrade the components such as the guitar, amplifier, or accessories to match your evolving skills and preferences.
What genres can I play with the guitars in the beginner kits?
The guitars in our beginner kits are versatile and suitable for various genres. Whether you're into rock, metal, jazz, or blues, you can achieve a wide range of tones and styles with our beginner kit guitars.
Are the amplifier included in the beginner kits battery-powered?
No, the amplifiers included in our beginner kits are not battery-powered. They require a standard power source for operation. However, the amplifiers are compact and portable, making them easy to transport for gigs or practice sessions.
Do the beginner kits come with a warranty?
Yes, all our beginner kits come with a manufacturer's warranty. The warranty ensures that you receive a high-quality product and provides coverage for any potential defects or issues.
Can I customize the color of the guitar in the beginner kit?
The availability of customization options may vary depending on the specific beginner kit. Some kits offer various color options to choose from, allowing you to personalize your guitar to match your style and preferences.
Can I purchase additional accessories for the beginner kit separately?
Yes, you can purchase additional accessories separately to enhance your beginner kit. Our online store offers a wide range of guitar accessories such as guitar straps, tuners, effect pedals, and more, allowing you to expand your collection as you progress.


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An earlier post commented on Tony Judt's magnificent book Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945. There I focused on the story he tells of the brutality of the creation of Communist Party dictatorships across Eastern Europe (link). Equally fascinating is his narrative of the abrupt collapse of those states in 1989. In short order the world witnessed the collapse of communism in Poland (June 1989), East Germany (November 1989), Czechoslovakia (November 1989), Bulgaria (November 1989), Romania (December 1989), Hungary (March 1990), and the USSR (December 1991). Most of this narrative occurs in chapter 19.
The sudden collapse of multiple Communist states in a period of roughly a year requires explanation. These were not sham states; they had formidable forces of repression and control; and there were few avenues of public protest available to opponents of the regimes. So their collapse is worth of careful assessment.
There seem to be several crucial ingredients in the sudden collapse of these dictatorships. One is the persistence of an intellectual and practical opposition to Communism and single-party rule in almost all these countries. The brutality of violent repression in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and other countries did not succeed in permanently suppressing opposition based on demands for greater freedom and greater self-determination through political participation. And this was true in the fields of the arts and literature as much as it was in the disciplines of law and politics. Individuals and organizations reemerged at various important junctures to advocate again for political and legal reforms, in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and even the USSR.
Second was the chronic inability of these states to achieve economic success and rising standards of living for their populations. Price riots in Poland in the 1970s and elsewhere signaled a fundamental discontent by consumers and workers who were aware of the living conditions of people living in other parts of non-Communist Europe. Material discontent was a powerful factor in the repeated periods of organized protest that occurred in several of these states prior to 1989. (Remember the joke from Poland in the 1970s -- "If they pretend to pay us, we pretend to work.")
And third was the position taken by Mikhail Gorbachev on the use of force to maintain Communist regimes in satellite countries. The use of violence and armed force had sufficed to quell popular movements in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland in years past. But when Gorbachev made it credible and irreversible that the USSR would no longer use tanks to reinforce the satellite regimes -- for example, in his speech to the United Nations in December 1988 -- local parties were suddenly exposed to new realities. Domestic repression was still possible, but it was no longer obvious that it would succeed.
And the results were dramatic. In a period of months the world witnessed the sudden collapse of Communist rule in country after country; and in most instances the transitions were relatively free of large-scale violence. (The public executions of Romania's Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu on Christmas Day, 1889 were a highly visible exception.)
There seem to be many historical lessons to learn from this short period of history. Particularly sharp are the implications for other single-party dictatorships. So let's reflect on the behavior of the single-party state in China since the mid-1980s. The Chinese party-state has had several consistent action plans since the 1980s. First, it has focused great effort on economic reform, rising incomes, and improving standards of living for the bulk of its population. In these efforts it has been largely successful -- in strong contrast to the USSR and its satellite states. Second, the Chinese government has intensified its ability to control ideology and debate, culminating in the current consolidation of power under President Xi. And third, it used brutal force against the one movement that emerged in 1989 with substantial and broad public involvement, the Democracy Movement. The use of force against demonstrations in Tiananmen Square and other cities in China demonstrated the party's determination to prevent largescale public mobilization with force if needed.
It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that China's leaders have reflected very carefully on the collapse of single-party states in 1989, culminating in the collapse of the Soviet Union itself. They appear to have settled on a longterm coordinated strategy aimed at preventing the emergence of the particular factors that led to those political catastrophes. They are committed to fulfilling the expectations of the public that the economy will continue to grow and support rising standards of living for the mass of the population. So economic growth has remained a very high priority. Second, they are vigilant in monitoring ideological correctness, suppressing individuals and groups who continue to advocate for universal human rights, democracy, and individual freedoms. And they are unstinting in providing the resources needed by the state organizations through which censorship, political repression, and ideological correctness are maintained. And finally, they appear to be willing to use overwhelming force if necessary to prevent largescale public protests. The regime seems very confident that a pathway of future development that continues to support material improvement for the population while tightly controlling ideas and public discussions of political issues will be successful. And it is hard to see that this calculation is fundamentally incorrect.


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the screening
Keep up to date with this screening of Suicide – The Ripple Effect on our Facebook Event Page!
8 Ballarat Street Yarraville
$20.00 AUD Admission + $2.00 booking fee = $22.00
Unfortunately this screening didn't reach the tipping point in time and has now been cancelled.
Keep up to date with this screening of Suicide – The Ripple Effect on our Facebook Event Page!
[yt-video title="Suicide-The Ripple Effect" type="video" src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9fhyz0XLDc"]
At age 19, Kevin Hines attempted to take his life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Seventeen years later, he still struggles with many of the same symptoms that led him to attempt to take his life, but he is on a mission to use his story to help others stay alive. Kevin has also been one of the key catalysts in helping end a nearly 80-year long fight to construct suicide prevention net on the iconic San Francisco bridge.
Kevin takes a journey to better understand the ripple effects his suicide attempt had on his family, friends, and the first responders who helped save him. He's also working to shine light on inspirational individuals, families, and organizations who are using personal pain to help others find the hope they need to heal.
TAKING BOOKINGS NOW FOR SCREENINGS FROM 14th MARCH 2018
An important message to audience members
It is important that you safeguard your wellbeing when sharing your story. Sharing your story may bring up uncomfortable or distressing feelings. These feelings might come up immediately or in following days, weeks or months. Support bodies strongly encourage checking in with yourself and engage in some selfcare activities. Self-care can include any intentional acts to help look after your physical, mental and emotional health. This may include; engaging in physical exercise, staying in touch with friends and family, having a good night sleep, or speak with a mental health professional.
Australian Helplines:
This film is not classified. The filmmakers recommend any audience members under the age of 15 to be accompanied by an adult.


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Healthy Living
Black Bat Bean Brownies
Not only will this tasty, moist and delicious treat satisfy your sweet tooth, it is also low in fat and salt, and a heart healthy snack your children will enjoy too. Plus, it's super easy (but no one has to know).
1 box of low fat brownie mix
1 15-ounce can (no salt added) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of water
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- Place brownie mix in medium mixing bowl.
- In blender or food processor, puree black beans and water until smooth.
- Add bean mixture, cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne pepper to brownie mix. Mix well.
- Bake according to package directions on the brownie mix. Once cooled, use a bat shaped stamp from your local craft store to make bat images on brownies
Nutritional Information:
Per brownie: 121 calories; Total Fat: 2 grams; Total Carbs: 25 grams; Fiber: 2.5 grams; Sugar: 15 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Sodium: 127 milligrams
Sign Up for Health Tips
Get our advice and upcoming events about weight, pain, heart and more.
Take a Health Risk Assessment
Our health assessments can help you identify issues and areas to discuss with your doctor.


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8-Hour Defensive Driving
Approved by SCDMV for point reduction
This course date has passed.
January 25, 2023
9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET
Virtual Training
8.00 hours
99.00 Cost
Insurance Discount Certificate
Class Details
Our most comprehensive defensive driving curriculum. This 8-hour, highly interactive classroom course provides the highest level of defensive driving knowledge and skills, the benefits of being a safe and responsible driver and the techniques for avoiding high-risk driving behaviors. Throughout the course, hazard recognition scenarios and the skills needed for dealing with immediate danger and anticipating potential hazards are the principal learning points.
This course is accepted by the SCDMV for point reduction. Successful completion of this course will reduce four (4) points off your driver's license or CDL license. Certificate can be used for insurance premium discount (where offered by your insurance company).
Whether you're an experienced driver, assuming new driving responsibilities or simply commuting to and from work, this course will provide you with safe driving knowledge and collision prevention strategies that focus on behavior, judgment, decision making and consequences.
Focusing on behavior-modification strategies and techniques, the course now includes greater emphasis on:
- Distracted, fatigued and impaired driving
- Substance impairment
- Sharing the road
- Habits of defensive driving
- Vehicle technology and safety features
- Personal driving behaviors and risk-taking tendencies
- Hazard identification and risk-assessment challenges
- Scenario-based training
- Application of knowledge and skills testing
- Personal plan for making effective driving choices
Additional Information
- check
Access to internet
- check
Computer or tablet (not compatible with phones)
- check
Class workbook (mailed after registration)
Register for 8-Hour Defensive Driving
This course date has passed.