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Members of a Kenai Peninsula snowmachine club say the free ride must to come to an end. With the Caribou Hills Cabin Hoppers snowmachine club's membership and volunteer base dwindling, a tiring group of core members say they may have to cancel this year's kickoff unless someone volunteers to lead the event by Thursday.
"We haven't had anyone step up to the plate and want to volunteer. Everyone wants a free meal and a good time," said Les Crane, the club's president.
The club, which was established nearly 20 years ago, grooms 68 miles of trails in the Caribou Hills every week during the winter and supports a long list of recreational events and organizations, including the Way Out Women cancer ride, Tustumena 200 dog sled race, the Kenai Fun Run and NAPA Fun Run supporting SAFE KIDS riding program.
But while plenty of people continue to show up to enjoy the benefits of the club's work, in the last couple of years fewer people have shown an interest in supporting it, Crane said.
While the group does a tremendous amount of work, it has almost all been supported by a nucleus of about 20 people for years, said Howard Davis, the club's treasurer.
"We're needing new fresh faces to come volunteer and come help us out," Crane said. "It's been the same group of people for the last 20 years."
The club's membership has gone from a high of 340 members about five or six years ago to a low of about 229 last year, according to Noland Compton, the club's membership coordinator, and Davis.
Crane said he doesn't understand why the membership has fallen when so many people take advantage of the club's trail maintenance and events, and when membership fees are so affordable, costing just $25 a year per family and $15 per individual.
"To me that's a pretty insignificant amount, especially for the number of people who ride our trails in the Caribou Hills," he said. "There's gotta be a thousand to two thousand people up there on any given weekend."
The club's annual kickoff, which includes a raffle, pot luck, door prizes and gives attendees the chance to check out the latest snowmachines, has attracted as many as 500 people.
The kickoff has been held every year since the club was established and has been open to everyone. If the event is held this year, however, the club plans to restrict the kickoff to members only in an effort to encourage more snowmachiners to join the club's membership.
"Probably over 50 percent of the people who come to the event are nonmembers," he said. "One idea we have of why our membership is down is, why be a member if you can get everything for free? Right now there aren't any real benefits to being a member other than saying you're a member."
Crane said the club hopes that restricting the kickoff to members but at the same time allowing people to become members at the door, will provide more snowmachiners an incentive to become members.
Davis said the importance of getting the club's membership up has little to do with the money collected from membership fees and more to do with giving the club the numbers to back up requests for more snowmachine trails and grants that support the club's work.
"Our membership money wouldn't pay for the fuel to groom," he said. "Grants and pull tabs are what pay for the club."
Although the club relies on volunteers to coordinate the club's events and groom trails, without the money collected from grants and pull tabs, there would be no grooming equipment and few resources with which the club could support its activities, he said.
However, Noland and Davis said they think the group's woes may be part of a larger trend in which fewer and fewer people are interested in volunteering their time to support clubs and nonprofit volunteer groups.
"I don't think our organization is different than a lot of the volunteer organizations in that in general it's just hard to get people to volunteer and do things."
Patrice Kohl can be reached at email@example.com.
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I can't say summer is here, because it's not official until June 20th, but in my eyes summer is here! The sun is out, and the evenings are long and bright – I say let's have a picnic! Everything tastes so much better outside in the sunshine. Glass jam jars are perfect to carry your food outside and also look pretty too. These banoffee pots are a simpler version of a regular banoffee pie and take just a few minutes to make. If you have not heard of a banoffee pie before, let me explain! It's a magical combination of crumbly cookies, gooey caramel, fresh bananas, whipped cream with some sprinkles of chocolate on top. It's sinfully good. This recipe is a scaled back version and very easy to make. So, if you are camping out in the wilderness or just laying on a blanket in the local park, these banoffee pots will make your picnic memorable.
Serves 2
- 60 g of cookies– digestive biscuits / graham crackers if in the USA
- 120g of dulce de leche – about 4 dessert spoons
- 1 large banana
- 100mls of cream, whipped.
- *Flake® for garnish – It's difficult to find these chocolate bars here in the US, so you could use some chocolate chips, or flaked chocolate instead
- Put the cookies in a small ziplock back and crush with your hands or a rolling pin.
- Spoon 2 heaped tablespoons of the crushed cookies into the bottom of each jar.
- Slice half a banana into each jar.
- Spoon about 2 dessert spoons of dulce de leche on top of the banana slices in each jar.
- Spoon the whipped cream on top.
- Garnish with a Flake®

subset: commoncrawl


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I need some help and advice.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I think I have figured out something about myself which may be an important barrier to my weight loss. I am having trouble with doing all the regular 'life stuff' and incorporating a new set of routines.
When I am off work and alone, no problem. I feel like my life just 'pushes' me off track and makes it much harder to make good choices like exercising and eating right. I will be honest I don't know how I can address this as I regard it as a personality flaw. But if I can read up on it perhaps someone else has encountered a problem like this? I need a new plan.
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In one's life, it seems as though we never have enough hours in the day. However, for our well-being, we NEED to take care of ourselves. I found this Spark People article which may be of use to you. Many
(Copy and paste in the URL link above).
2467 days ago
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Thanks everyone for your guidance on this topic. I feel like weight loss is so personal, it always feels like no one really understands when you struggle with something like this and the great thing I have found about sparkpeople is that you yes you still have to do it alone, no one can do it for me. But you don't have to BE alone and other people who know how you feel and what you are going through are here to support and encourage you. I appreciate the advice and the feedback and it has had a positive impact on me. Thank you all so much.
2467 days ago
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I'm a big proponent of the "pick one thing and do it until it becomes a habit" method. Then pick another thing and another thing, and soon you have a whole bunch of new habits, but didn't have to overstress yourself by changing your entire life in one go.
Good luck!
2468 days ago
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I agree, life seems to "get in the way". I also do well at home but I get to work and sticking by the stuff seems to be much harder. I'm a CNA and work in a nursing home situation with alzheimer's residents. I don't have near the stress at home vs work. It's sooooo easy to reach for that cookie as I'm handing an elderly resident a cookie. My hubby bought me a mug for work that I put my water in....it ways "work with me people". Cracks me up every time I read it. I put my ice water in there and take a sip of that instead of popping a cookie in my mouth (as well as dear ol' Aunt Millie). I'm going to start putting carrot sticks in a baggie and putting them in my scrub pocket for my own personal "snack" if the water just doesn't seem to do it. It's hard to stay with it but the pay off is so worth it. Feel free to email me as a friend if you need to....not a problem. Glad to help a fellow spark person.
2468 days ago
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Well, I recently read an article about how not to blame "it" on something other than yourself. It said to rephrase the sentence and bring it back to yourself. Like your "LIFE" pushes you off track. It boils back down to you. You can plan for those events by having healthy food with you. Bring your gym bag so that you can stop and exercise after work. Look for the ways life gives you the opportunity to make a better choice.
Eventually it becomes a habit. Best wishes on your journey.
2468 days ago
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NYDADDY, life tends to get in the way sometimes, doesn't it?? I don't think this is a personality flaw; I think it's just a facet of life that you can learn to deal with. Spark of course has so many great tips and resources, but I think the best thing is to start small.
Pick just a couple goals and habits and build those first. For instance, every day just focus on drinking your water, or cutting out soda, or whatever. Once you get that under control, take the next step and pick a new goal. Slowly build on your habits one by one. It takes time, but if you want the habits and lessons to STICK, it will take patience and persistence. The most important thing is to NEVER GIVE UP and don't let little setbacks derail you completely. Forgive yourself and move forward. SparkPeople.com is your best tool in this fight. Best of luck to you!!
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Machine learning can tell if you're wearing swap-meet Louie
A wise man once said "The hat mighta had a L V on the back but at the swap meet that ain't jack," and now researchers can ensure that the Louis Vuitton or Prada or Coach you bought is the real deal. The system, which essentially learns the difference between real and fake products over time, uses a small microscope connected to a phone. "The underlying principle of… Read More
LG and PRADA release the PRADA II with matching PRADA Link watch
Info about the PRADA II mobile phone by LG has been widely available for some time now, but the two companies finally went official 'bout the handset and released a matching watch at the same time. The PRADA Link (really, that's the best name?) is simply a Bluetooth-enabled device that displays not only the Caller ID, but also full SMS text messages in modern Dick Tracy fashion. Read More
LG Prada II: Tuesday in the UK
The LG Prada II is coming, thank God. It's scheduled to debut in the UK, the originator of WAG culture, on Tuesday, November 18. The touchscreen phone, which has a 5-megapixel camera (which was last impressive two years ago), also has a slide-out keyboard, making it more G1 than iPhone. There's no price just yet (though it was rumored at around €600), which is fantastic… Read More
LG PRADA II now official
You already know what the PRADA II looks like, and what it's packing, so the LG PRADA II official announcement is kind of like that Christmas morning when you peeked at all your gifts beforehand. Sorry if we killed the buzz 'bout this 7.2 Mbps HSDPA touchscreen phone, but that's what we do. The phone is supposedly going to launch in Europe before the end of this year… Read More
LG PRADA II now official
You already know what the PRADA II looks like, and what it's packing, so the LG PRADA II official announcement is kind of like that Christmas morning when you peeked at all your gifts beforehand. Sorry if we killed the buzz 'bout this 7.2 Mbps HSDPA touchscreen phone, but that's what we do. The phone is supposedly going to launch in Europe before the end of this… Read More
LG PRADA II specs leaked
Further confirming the existence of a PRADA II, BGR has managed to get their hands on the full tentative specs: Quad-band GSM/EDGE, dual-band HSDPA (850MHz/2100MHz) 950mAh battery 240×400 3.0″ screen 5 megapixel autofocus camera with flash and VGA recording Bluetooth 2.1 Wi-Fi b,g Infineon MP-EH + M180 chipset Motion sensor FM Radio 104.5 x 54 x 16.8 mm It's certainly a powerful… Read More
LG PRADA II shot leaked
The Boy Genius just pushed this live shot of what's purported to be the next product coming from the LG/PRADA partnership, aptly named the PRADA II. Borrowing much from the aesthetics of the original PRADA phone, the only visible change is the slide-out keyboard. Nothing is known about the handset besides what you can see in this shot, so it may be a while before we get wind of… Read More
LG VX9700 VZW-bound: Like the Prada phone, just no Prada branding
[photopress:vx9700.jpg,full,center] Somewhere underneath the giant PHONE ARENA watermark is the latest LG phone destined for your local Verizon Wireless store, the LG VX9700. It's supposed to be VZW's Prada-less Prada, complete with fancy touchscreen and bubbly UI. It's supposed to be available by the end of the month, but last-minute delays may push it back into April or… Read More
LG has sold 700,000 Prada phones
That's right, friends: LG has sold 700,000 Prada phones so far, surprising us all. I'm trying to get a little more information, but you can be sure that fashionistas everywhere are now rubbing their haptic touchscreens with glee, thankful that they didn't buy that awful iPhone. LG sells 700,000 Prada phones [TelecomPaper with some janky $180 subscription service] Read More
China and the lie of luxury
This is a bit off-topic, but it has quite a bit to do with electronics and boutique home audio so let's begin. Luxury items have always been status symbols and, increasingly, commodity products. This nasty mix creates a drive to sell more product at luxury prices, which is good for the companies but not so good for the consumer. Dana Thomas' book, Deluxe claws at — but… Read More
AT&T LG Prada-ish phone leaked
Woosah. You have no idea how much this leak pisses me off, but that's neither here nor there. The Gizza has the scoop on the US AT&T version of the LG Prada, which is the CU920 and not the KE850. This, however, seems to be much better with supposed 3G and it's pretty lightweight. It has iPhone-like zooming when browsing, but a few more steps required. Who knows when this sucker… Read More
Porsche Shows Off Phone That May Not Really Exist
It looks like Porsche is branching out from its mainstream-fancy sports car production and into the cellphone game. In this man's hand is the Porsche Design Mobile Phone P'9521, whose interface looks a hell of a lot like the Prada's. It's a flip phone, my least favorite kind, and I have no idea whether or not it'll be released or how much Porsche would want to… Read More
LG Tacks On Free Insurance For Prada Owners
Someone at LG must be on the sauce because this makes no sense at all. The SK mobile phone giant will be giving 60,000 Prada owners free insurance totaling up to $215 and what's even crazier is the fact that it covers the phone even if you break it. If you decide to run over it with a car or throw it out a 20 story building you're still covered and this is outside of the… Read More
The LG Prada is Verizon's Answer to the iPhone: Good Luck, Bro
The $600 LG Prada is Verizon Wireless' answer to the $500 Apple iPhone… OK, you can stop laughing now. It's not that the Prada isn't a good phone or anything—clearly it's deserving of all the hype. But the thought of VZW "answering" to anything borders on the absurd. Can you imagine the Prada with really hottt V-Cast Tunezzz on it? There's… Read More
LG Wine Phone Has Nothing To Do With Wine, Is Entry Level
It's either a phone made for drunks or for people who pretend they're fancy, like our very own John here. It's the LG Wine phone (or the LG-SV300) and, aside from the picture of a wine bottle and glass on the phone's screen, I cannot figure out why it's called the Wine. The Prada phone makes sense, as does the Shine, and the Chocolate I can understand to a point… Read More
LG Shine Is Here: Dumb, But Very Pretty
The Shine is coming, the Shine is coming! Actually, it's already here, for $230 with a 2-year contract. Yup, one of the most hyped cellphones in recent months (alongside the iPhone and LG Prada) is finally available on Verizon Wireless as the LG XV8700. There's no denying that it's a pretty phone, but it's really nothing more than a brushed metal clamshell. (On Verizon… Read More
LG Prada Phone Available as a Pre-Order for the Mentally Deficient
"Limited Service" is right. After playing with the Prada last week, I can't say that I'm particularly enthused about this plaything of the deluded. Someone out there might be interested, however, so post we must. The phone is available now from Orange Mobile in the UK for £19.99 for the handset with a £35 per month contract.
LG Prada Phone: Order Yours Today… Read More
Synaptics: The Prada and the Scrawla
I popped by Synaptics today, just on a whim, and was lucky to catch the LG Prada in its native habitat: lying, unloved, on a table. All that was missing was a credit card and some blow and we'd have an image of the phone's true future milieu. But I digress. Read More
LG's Prada Phone Unboxed: It's Real, It's Hot
Thanks to T3, the UK gadget site that likes to exhibit half-naked girls with its gear, we've got a peek at a sexy unboxing of the Prada phone. For those not in the know, the Prada is LG's $775 iPhone contender with style to spare, but it's always been shrouded in whispers of vaporware or self-inflicted hubris. It is indeed real, as the above video demonstrates. If… Read More
LG, Prada Headset For The Label Whores
The fashion conscious who plan to get their well manicured mitts on the LG Prada will be happy to know that they can also get a matching Bluetooth headset. LG and Prada have teamed up again to release a headset that is set to launch in May. It doesn't seem to be anything special, but it does have a nice display to show you battery strength, volume and device name….not to mention the… Read More


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Jorge Haddock to Be New Dean of Mason's School of Management
Posted: January 21, 2009 at 1:00 am, Last Updated: November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am
Jorge Haddock
Photo courtesy of Jorge Haddock
Jorge Haddock, dean of the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond, has been appointed dean of Mason's School of Management, effective July 1.
Haddock will succeed current Dean Richard Klimoski.
"I am excited about the prospect of working with Dean Haddock and the experience and vigor he will bring to this position," says Mason Provost Peter Stearns. "I think we are in for an exciting next phase in the School of Management."
Haddock has served as dean of the Robins School since 2005. Before that, he was the associate dean and professor of management science and information technology in the Lally School of Management and Technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Haddock's teaching interests include operations research, production planning and information technology courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His primary research involves the design and implementation of effective information technology, production and service systems, as well as their effect on corporate culture. He has written and cowritten more than 70 publications.
"The School of Management at George Mason University has placed itself in an enviable position for further short- and long-term success. There are tangible opportunities for enhancing the quality of all programs, while capitalizing on growth and revenue endeavors," says Haddock. "I am honored and thrilled to be the next dean of the school and thankful to all who have helped the school reach this level of accomplishment."
Haddock earned a BS from the University of Puerto Rico, an MS from Rensselaer and a PhD from Purdue University.


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Egyptians were voting on a new constitution Tuesday amid high security in a referendum likely to launch a presidential bid by the army chief who overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
The military-installed government implored voters to turn out en masse to ratify the constitution, with the countrys lingering polarisation underscored by the explosion of a small bomb in Cairo that caused no injuries.
An Islamist coalition led by Morsis Muslim Brotherhood has called for a boycott and civilised peaceful protests during the two days of polling, and the interior ministry has pledged to confront attempts to disrupt voting.
Defence minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who overthrew Morsi in July, visited a polling station at a north Cairo school after voting began to survey the security preparations.
Work hard. We need the referendum to be completely secured, he told soldiers guarding the school.
Shortly before polling stations opened, a small, improvised bomb exploded outside a Cairo court, damaging the facade but causing no injuries, police said.
It again highlighted the governments precarious grip on the most populous Arab country, still reeling from the ouster of Morsi and a bloody crackdown on his Islamist supporters.
The government hopes a large turnout in favour of the constitution will bolster its disputed authority, while Sisi will monitor it for an indicator of his popularity, an official close to the general said.
Interim president Adly Mansour entreated voters to cast their ballots.
The people must prove to dark terrorism that they fear nothing, he said after casting his ballot.
The voting is not only for the constitution, but also for the road map, so the country can have an elected president and a parliament.
The referendum will be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections.
The police and army have deployed hundreds of thousands of personnel to guard polling stations amid fears that a spate of militant attacks and protests would keep voters at home.
At one polling station for women at a school, dozens lined up to cast their ballots, some waving Egyptian flags and chanting pro-military slogans.
We must be with our police and army so that no one can terrorise us. Even if a bomb exploded in my polling station, I will vote, said Salwa Abdel Fattah, a 50-year-old gynaecologist.
While it is uncertain how many Egyptians will vote amid concern over violence, the constitution appears certain to pass.
Charter bolsters armys powers
The charter has done away with much of the Islamist-inspired wording of Morsis constitution, suspended on his overthrow, and its supporters say it expands womens rights and freedom of speech.
But it has bolstered the militarys powers, granting the army the right to appoint the defence minister for the next eight years and to try civilians for attacks on the armed forces.
The runup to the vote has been marred by a deadly crackdown on Morsis supporters, and arrests of activists who campaigned for a no vote.
At least seven activists have been detained in the past week as they distributed posters or leaflets critical of the new constitution, prominent rights lawyer Ragia Omran told AFP, adding that most were released after a few days.
The capital has been festooned with banners urging Egyptians to vote yes, often featuring military motifs such as a generals hat, an allusion to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Many Islamists revile Sisi as the man who overthrew the countrys first freely elected and civilian president, but the general is adored by the millions who took to the streets in July to demand Morsis resignation.
The army chief is widely expected to run for president, and has said he would stand for election if he felt there was popular demand, state media reported this week.
The authorities are worried that a low turnout would empower their Islamist opponents in Morsis Brotherhood and cast further doubt on their legitimacy, analysts say.
Backers of the constitution are hoping for at least a 70 percent vote in favour of the constitution as a satisfying majority.
Morsis constitution passed with 64 percent of the vote, but on a turnout of barely 33 percent of the countrys 53 million voters.
At least 1,000 people, mostly Islamists, have been killed in street clashes, and thousands have been imprisoned since the ouster of Morsi, whose supporters continue protests almost every day.


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Hi, This latest version is allmost the same as the one on testing but fixes a RC bug and 2 security bugs. There are very few changes from 6.3.6~rc3 on testing or 6.3.6~rc5 on unstable. We believe that since the changes from previous upstream version are just the fixes for the security bugs and for a regression introduced on rc2, it is better to distribute this final 6.3.6 release. Regards, Héctor P.D: If you have any question please send them to both nico and me.
Description: Esta parte del mensaje =?ISO-8859-1?Q?est=E1?= firmada digitalmente


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NEWS - Monday, November 26, 2001
Munchs Oddysee Review Up!My review of Microsofts Munchs Oddysee is up for your viewing pleasure. Click on "Product Profile" to read the whole thing.
Source: http://www.xboxaddict.com/
Fans of this sim space game have something to look forward too at the end of the month as new DLC is going to hit. Check out the details inside.
Microsoft details what games Xbox Live Gold members will be able to download as a reward for their membership.
Those gamers out there who love their side-scrolling action games have a new title to check out in early March from a Canadian developer.
If you are a fan of this sim type game, then we have some great news for you. Check out the details inside.
For those looking to manage people in an effort to survive might just want to take a look at this news of an upcoming game that should interest them.
Get ready to head down to Century Link field for some good old MLG action as the Halo 5 Championships are heading to the zone where the Seahawks and Sounders play.
The next car pack is now available for Turn 10s racing franchise. Check out the details inside.


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Both sockets and transport-level interface provide two modes of service: connection-mode and connectionless-mode.
Connection-mode service is circuit-oriented. This service enables the transmission of data over an established connection in a reliable, sequenced manner. This service also provides an identification procedure that avoids the overhead of address resolution and transmission during the data transfer phase. This service is attractive for applications that require relatively long-lived, datastream-oriented interactions.
Connectionless-mode service is message-oriented and supports data transfer in self-contained units with no logical relationship required among multiple units. A single service request passes all the information required to deliver a unit of data from the sender to the transport provider. This service request includes the destination address and the data to be delivered. Connectionless-mode service is attractive for applications that involve short-term interactions that do not require guaranteed, in-sequence delivery of data. Connectionless transports are generally unreliable.


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Home run trots are supposed to be triumphant strides around the base paths. If it's your first professional home run, it should be even sweeter.
For Augusta second baseman Lee Curtis, it was a pain in the leg. One pitch before his home run cleared the left-field wall, Curtis fouled a ball off his leg. His limping jaunt around the bases was evident, and manager Russ Morman replaced him in the top of the sixth inning.
The rest of the game was a pain for the GreenJackets as well.
Jon Albaladejo pitched a four-hitter and retired the final 13 batters he faced to give Hickory a 3-1 victory and a sweep of the four-game series at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
Albaladejo was particularly effective against the top six hitters in the Augusta battery. He didn't give up a single hit - going 0-for-21 - and he recorded five of his six strikeouts. Chad Spann fanned twice, his second one coming to end the game.
"He pounded the zone with all of his pitches," Morman said. "You're going to have success going 0-1, 0-2. He had us in a hole a lot. He threw a whale of a game."
Augusta pitchers weren't too shabby, either. Starter Angus Roy pitched four innings and gave up just two hits and two runs. Relievers Milton Tavarez and originally scheduled starter Jon Lester went five innings combined and gave up two hits and one unearned run.
Roy's only trouble spot came in the second inning, when Hickory's Brad Eldred got some revenge on the GreenJackets' pitching staff. Eldred was hit three times before Sunday's game and let out his frustrations on the second pitch he saw from Roy.
Eldred smacked a tree-topping drive over the left-center field wall to give Hickory (8-2) a 1-0 lead. The Southern Division-leading Crawdads added another run after two walks and an RBI single by Taber Lee.
Augusta threatened in the third inning, getting back-to-back base hits from Greg Stone and Michael Goss to put runners at first and third with one out. Albaladejo worked out of the jam by picking off Goss at first and getting Christopher Durbin to fly out to left field on the next pitch to end the threat.
"The physical errors are a part of the game," Morman said. "It's the mental errors we have to eliminate. As a team the players have to deal with and overcome mental errors. We're not able to do that right now."
Game Report
Crawdads 3, Jackets 1
TURNING POINT: Trailing 2-0, the Jackets put runners on first and third with one out in the third inning. Hickory starter Jon Albaladejo picked off Michael Goss at first, then got Chris Durbin to fly out and keep the GreenJackets off the scoreboard.
BIG BAT: Augusta second baseman Lee Curtis hit his first professional home run in the fifth inning, but he left the game after fouling a ball off his leg via the pitch before the home run.
TOP GUN: Albaladejo pitched his second complete game of the season, striking out six and giving up only four hits.
FOR THE RECORD: WP: Jon Albaladejo (5-3); LP: Angus Roy (3-6).
ON DECK: The Jackets then continue their seven-game homestand with three against Capital City before playing a fourth game against the Bombers in Columbia.
Reach Raymond Beasock at (706) 823-3221 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
© 2018. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


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555th Friday Blog Roundup
This is it. Last day to get Life from Scratch for 99 cents. Measure of Love is also on sale. (I believe on all platforms.) Please help me spread word.
Please Tweet about it. Or throw up the announcement on Facebook. Or email a friend about the sale. Or buy a copy for a friend and send it to them. Or Pin the book cover. Or… Instagram yourself reading the book… I will be eternally grateful.
How am I wasting time now? With the app WordBubbles. I am really not digging this new trend to offer the removal of ads as an in-app purchase (vs. offering a free and paid version of the same app with ads or no ads), so I haven't yet removed the ads. But I am on level 111. And I like that you get a daily puzzle, to boot.
The game makes me feel smarter than I actually am.
I found this explanation from author Robert Munsch of Love You Forever to be very moving.
I made that up after my wife and I had two babies born dead. The song was my song to my dead babies. For a long time I had it in my head and I couldn't even sing it because every time I tried to sing it I cried. It was very strange having a song in my head that I couldn't sing.
I'll never read the story the same way again, and I'm so grateful that he shared that story.
Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don't have regrets.
Seriously. Stop what you're doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It's the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.
As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.
And now the blogs…
But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. In order to read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:
- "A Note to Self" (Infertilityhonesty)
- "An Open Letter to My Fertile Family" (Waiting for Baby Bird)
Okay, now my choices this week.
Lavender Luz has another installment of her adoption advice column, and I thought addressing the adopt-a-baby-fast mentality was of utmost importance. Without shaming the asker, she points out the problems inherent in this mindset, especially in doing what is best for the child. I especially loved the wedding/marriage analogy.
It Is What It Is has a picture post that packs a punch. (So much so that I need to write with alliteration.) With a single image, she speaks volumes.
Inconceivable has a gorgeous post about parenting after a loss, marking the moment of a first unbirthday. I started to highlight the sentences that made me catch my breath, but really, it's the whole thing. It's the whole, brief, beautiful post.
Lastly, Mom, Eventually has a post about fighting to find happiness. I love when she explains, "My happiness is like a house of cards – so hard to build and yet so fragile and quick to fall down." I think this post will resonate with a lot of people.
The roundup to the Roundup: Please help me promote the Life from Scratch sale. Waste time with WordBubble. The real story behind Love You Forever. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between July 17th and 24th) and not the blog's main url. Not understanding why I'm asking you what you found this week? Read the original open thread post here.
10 comments
- 1 andy { 07.24.15 at 8:38 am }
I never knew that about "love you forever" but I couldn't read it without crying already…. now it will be worse.
- 2 Ana { 07.24.15 at 10:05 am }
That book actually creeped me out and I threw it away when my son got it at a book swap at school. Reminded me too much of my overbearing mother-in-law who will not leave us alone. The context about the origin of the book does change my perspective, I guess.
- 3 apluseffort { 07.24.15 at 11:25 am }
This post asking hard questions about having a second child took my breath away: https://beyondtheparentheses.wordpress.com/2015/07/21/strokes/
- 4 Lori Lavender Luz { 07.24.15 at 1:05 pm }
I loved that book then, and my love only intensified when I read Robert Munsch's inner thoughts. I recall also hearing a recording of his version of the song.
I also get Ana's point. The song can seem a bit like an Old Spice commercial. Love those.
Thanks for including me in the Roundup. Love you forever.
- 5 Sharon { 07.24.15 at 2:26 pm }
I actually wouldn't read Love You Forever to my sons until I read that explanation by the author somewhere. (I found the part where the mother sneaks into her grown son's house while he's sleeping creepy.)
Interestingly, since I first read it to my now 3.5-year-old sons, it has become one of their most often requested books.
- 6 Mom, Eventually { 07.24.15 at 4:01 pm }
Thanks for the shout out, Stirrup Queens! I'm new to this whole blogging thing and I'm loving the sense of community. It's making me feel like I've got more warriors on my side in my fight for happiness 😉 Happy Friday everyone!
- 7 Jamie { 07.24.15 at 5:30 pm }
Love the book and enjoy giving it as a gift. I've had many friends and family later say it was their favorite book to read to their child. Recently, one friend told me it was her favorite book that her mother read to her. She was so happy to have a copy for her son.
I did not know the author's back story. Thank you for sharing. It take the beauty of the book to the next level. Thankful through his grief that he was able to share this gift of love through a story.
- 8 Mali { 07.24.15 at 6:18 pm }
I only know the book from US TV shows. Interesting how many "much-loved books" you've talked about that haven't made the crossover to NZ. (Velveteen Rabbit – or something like that? – is another one blogging friends have talked about that I've never seen here.)
I have to give a shout out to Pamela's post about ethics and the fertility industry. She's been talking and writing about this for years now, often unjustly criticised for her views, and finally it seems that the industry itself is raising some of these issues.
She links to an amazing interview with a bioethicist that is well worth reading, regardless of where you are in the infertility journey.
- 9 Working mom of 2 { 08.01.15 at 1:38 am }
Ahhhh…I ordered that book on Amazon after your post. I can't get thru reading it to my kids without crying. With me being an older mom and losing my dad this year (I couldn't exactly carry him, but still) it really brought on the tears. I can't even think of the picture of the man rocking his mother without crying.
- 10 loribeth { 08.07.15 at 9:54 pm }
CBC did a "Life & Times" episode on Robert Munsch (kind of like A&E's old "Biography" series) where he talked about his stillborn children & "Love You Forever." He even sang the song. There is an annual book/literacy festival in Toronto called "Word on the Street" and dh & I went one year when Munsch was performing at one of the stages. He told several stories & finished off with "Love You Forever." It was actually quite funny, because he acted out the rocking back & forth, etc., but I don't think there was an adult in the audience with dry eyes at the end.


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May 4-10 is Peace Week!
To draw attention to Peace Week and the 2015 Mother's Day Walk for Peace, the Lenny Zakim Bridge will be lit up purple May 4-10, making the connection that violence occurs daily on the streets of Boston and peace is needed NOW.
Peace Week aims to recognize and activate the potential of Boston Public Schools and all students to be peacemakers and positively impact the climate of classrooms. Peace Week curriculum will give participants the opportunity to practice and commit to the seven Principles of Peace: love, unity, faith, hope, courage, justice, and forgiveness. Peace Week was designed to center students who have been deeply affected by murder, trauma, grief, and loss. We have free PEACE Curricula available for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools.
Can't Walk? Get involved in Peace Week on Facebook and Twitter.
TAKE A #Mothersdaywalk4peace #iampeace #peaceispossible Photo
Take a photo of yourself with your homemade #iampeace sign. Then post them to our Facebook page with a message telling us your name, why you are committed to peace, and where you live, if you are walking-- your team name.
If you are on Twitter, tweet your photo using the hashtags#Mothersdaywalk4peace #MDW4P #Peaceispossible #iampeace and we will retweet it.
And if you only have email, just email the photo to email@example.com and we will share it for you.
We are focusing on a different topic every day. and a principle of peace every day (love, unity, faith, hope, courage, justice, and forgiveness).
Monday (5/4)--KICK OFF!- Day of Faith.
How do you practice Peace in your faith/spirituality?
Tuesday (5/5) - Day of Love--
How do you practice Peace in your life? Share your tips and stories.
Wednesday (5/6) - Day of Forgiveness --
How do you create Peace in your relationships?
Share your tips and stories.
Thursday (5/7) - Day of Unity--
How do you create Peace in your community?
Share your tips and stories.
Friday (5/8) - Day of Hope--
Turn Up for Peace.
Saturday (5/9) - Day of Justice--
Ready? Set? Go Peace!
Get your walking shoes ready, get your team organized. Join us tomorrow at the Mother's Day Walk for Peace. Make your donation today! Be sure to register ONLINE to avoid long lines the day of! Registration=Liability Waiver.
Sunday (5/10) - Day of Courage--
PEACE IS POSSIBLE-2015 Mother's Day Walk for Peace.
If you can't make it follow us on facebook and twitter.
Change your profile image on Facebook and Twitter. Follow this link for a super-easy way to join the campaign - you can create your own custom MDW4P photo!
You can also share your photos using Facebook and Twitter, and even add your own Facebook banner!
Share Your Story
Share why you walk and what the Mother's Day Walk for Peace means to you! Sharing your personal story of what life is like for you as a survivor or how you lost your loved is one of the most powerful ways to move people to donate. Share your story in your fundraising emails and on your team fundraising page.
Share Our Story
WE Thank YOU!!!


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LAARC to host Ham Radio Day
Published 9:22 am, Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Lakes Area Amateur Radio Club announces our participation in the American Radio Relay League annual Ham Radio "Field Day,." Date for this year's event is June 23 and 24. The public is cordially invited to drop by Saturday afternoon or evening or early Sunday at the Lion's Club building on State Street in Jasper, and witness the activities. Club members will be operating ham radio equipment, practicing and demonstrating emergency communication abilities and equipment.Over 35,000 hams nationwide are anticipated to be involved in this annual national event.The club meets monthly meetings at 7 p.m. on last Thursday of every month at Bell Field terminal building (Jasper County Airport).


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How do you write a story about a character who's completely unlike you? How do you get inside his or her head enough to make your story credible? Don't we all admire authors who can do this well? Conversely, isn't it boring (and confusing) when every character in a story thinks and speaks the same way?
I've blogged before about creating convincing characters who are the opposite gender from you. But there are many ways besides gender to be different—age, race, time period, nationality, home location, economic status, intelligence, species, planet, etc.
A few years ago, I read Next, by the late Michael Crichton. In that novel, one of the characters, Brad Gordon, is abnormally attracted to very young girls. If I remember correctly, I read about Brad attending a high school girls soccer game. The scene is in Brad's point of view, and I read about watching the game through a sexual deviant's eyes. Not only was the scene disturbing, but I was convinced Michael Crichton knew his character well enough to capture his mindset.
It's a difficult thing, writing from the POV of a character so unlike you, one who thinks differently, who has different goals and motivations. That character doesn't share your (the writer's) basic assumptions about how the world works. The character reacts to events with different emotions than you would. Your job is to make that character realistic.
This character might be very different from your targeted readership. The character might be an extraterrestrial, a British colonialist explorer from the 1880s, a serial killer, or a Tibetan monk. Your readers won't know if you "got it right," but you still need to make it convincing. None of those characters should think or act like you do.
Of course, it's worse when your targeted readers do match your character and you don't. If you're an elderly male author writing romance, your depictions of young women had better be very close to the mark, because your readers will spot any unrealistic actions, thoughts, clothing, dialogue, etc. If you've never been in the military and you're writing a war story, your readership expects you to get in the mind of your POV characters and convey accurate feelings and actions.
In this blog post, Monica M. Clark discusses some helpful advice she learned from author Terry McMillan on this subject. Her three recommendations follow, paraphrased by me:
- Empathize. Spend time getting in the mind of that character, feeling the passions, seeing the world through those different filters.
- Listen. If possible, find real people who are like your character. Go to where they live, if you can. Then watch and listen. Pick up the speech patterns, the clothing, the gestures.
- Apply for a job. No, the job's not for you, it's for your character. Fill out a job application as your character would. That will build the bio for your character.
All great advice. Regarding that last item, there are some things you need to know about your character that would not appear on a typical job application, like physical attributes and personality. Write those down, too. As you write your story, refer back to the job application every now and then to check if you have things right.
The better you can convey different characters, the better your stories will be. For example, I do my best to depict characters who are completely different from—
Poseidon's Scribe


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Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, has been a phenomenal success in a way that few academic works ever achieve. It has had a steady presence on the arbiter of successful books – the New York Times bestseller list.
Why is it so popular?
Because it tells the story of race, ethnicity, criminal justice, and social control in a compelling, accessible way. Where academic criminologists conduct studies on concepts like "perceived racial threat" and "racial normalization of crime," Alexander makes it pretty simple.
Racism, no longer socially acceptable in its overt forms, has become socially acceptable in a new format: the criminal justice system.
This isn't really news to criminologists. We even have acronyms for it: DMC refers to disproportionate minority confinement, or DMP which means disproportionate minority presence.
People of color show up all over crime data, in numbers that do not match their presence in the population. So what's going on here? Are minorities committing more crime? Yes, without a doubt. But to leave the issue right there would be a terrible injustice to understanding the intersection of race and crime.
Because minorities are more likely to be reported for crime. More likely to be arrested. More likely to be charged, convicted, sentenced. And more likely to be sentenced to a harsher punishment.
The favorite textbook example of harsher sentencing is always powder versus crack cocaine. How do you explain the fact that penalties for crack cocaine have been as much as 50 times higher than for powder cocaine? Well, consider who uses the two different forms of the drug, and you've got your answer.
Each of these slight differences add up to a whole that is nothing less than institutionalized and socially accepted racism. Mass incarceration targets and harms blacks in a way that is parallel to the old Jim Crow laws against a backdrop of self-righteous punitive criminal justice attitudes that pretend to be color-blind.
That's what Michelle Alexander is trying to say, and she says it well.
Related articles:
- Michelle Alexander: More Black Men Are In Prison Today Than Were Enslaved In 1850 (innerstandingisness.wordpress.com)
- Cut Black Men Some Slack, Jack: Michelle Alexander's New Jim Crow May Give New Hope (clutchmagonline.com)
- Darnell Hawkins' and a Research Agenda for Ethnicity Studies and Crime (crimedime.com)
- Guest Post: "Colorblindness" is Denial (crimedime.com)
- Geraldo, Trayvon's Hoodie, and the Rape of Mr. Smith (crimedime.com)


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Fort Polk Progress: DC Trip A Success
Fort Polk Progress Chairman Michael Reese announced today that the group's trip to Washington, D.C. July 28-30 was a resounding success.
Members of Fort Polk Progress visited with Senators Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) as well as Congressmen John Fleming (R-LA 4th District) and Vance McAllister (R-LA 5th District) and staff members of Congressmen Bill Cassidy (R-LA 6th District) and Steve Scalise (R-LA 1st District), the current United States House of Representatives Majority Whip. Fort Polk Progress members updated the Louisiana Congressional Delegation on the Army's current process to reduce force structure.
In addition, the delegation and Fort Polk Progress plan to lead the way in finding budget solutions for the Army to prevent the drastic cuts that are currently planned.
"Fort Polk Progress is very appreciative of the tremendous amount of support we receive from all the members of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation," said Reese. "Force structure cuts aren't a reflection of reduced mission requirements, but a reflection of the current budget environment. We're working with the Louisiana Congressional Delegation to lead an effort to address that issue."
Members of Fort Polk Progress also explained to the delegation the importance of eliciting as much comment as possible on the Army's proposal through August 25, when the official commenting period ends. Fort Polk Progress requested that the delegation be involved during their August recess in educating their constituents about the impact of a reduction of force at Fort Polk and the process for making public comments about the issue.
In addition, Fort Polk Progress updated the Congressional Delegation about the status of current off-base community investments being made to support the military and what the impact on those investments would be in the event of any major downsizing at Fort Polk, including a $42 million investment in new schools; the University Parkway development; and nearly $8 million in quality of life projects in DeRidder, to include a new swimming pool, renovations and expansions to the post-secondary education/workforce development site in the First Street School, as well as other recreational projects.
Fort Polk Progress and its regional partners are very aware that as the Army gets smaller, more and more job opportunities will be needed for soldiers transitioning into civilian life. The group educated the Congressional Delegation on the growing job market in Southwest Louisiana as well as educational and job training opportunities being offered by the Southwest Economic Development Alliance.
With more than $70 million in announced projects in Southwest Louisiana, the SWLA Economic Development Alliance and the Chamber SWLA are working with the Fort Polk ACAP Center and the US Chamber of Commerce to host two job fairs, the Hiring Our Heroes Opportunity Fair and the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance Job Fair, to help transitioning soldiers and their spouses fill the 19, 936 new permanent jobs and 32,398 new construction jobs available.
For more information or to register your business for either event, please contact RB Smith, Vice President of Workforce for the SWLA Alliance at (337) 433-3632.
Fort Polk Progress members who traveled to Washington, D.C were: MIchael Reese, chairman; Jim Tuck, president of the Vernon Parish Police Jury and Fort Polk Progress Board member; Jon Grafton,executive director of England Airpark in Alexandria, La.and Fort Polk Progress Board member; Avon Knowlton, executive vice president of SWLA Economic Development Alliance and Chamber SWLA and Fort Polk Progress treasurer; Misty Clanton, director of Community Service, City of DeRidder; Chance Lewis, incoming president of the Greater Beauregard Chamber of Commerce; Rhonda Plummer, Vernon Parish administrator; James Williams, superintendent of the Vernon Parish School District; Renita Page, secondary curriculum supervisor of the Vernon Parish School District; and Paul Sawyer, director of Federal Programs, Business Development Services at Louisiana Economic Development.
Also while they were in Washington, Fort Polk Progress and its partners, Fort Polk and the Vernon Parish School District, received the Military Child Education Coalition's (MCEC) 2014 Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award in the category of Outstanding Partnerships.
This annual award, announced by the MCEC at its 16th National Training Seminar in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 30, recognizes partnerships formed between military installations and school districts that serve military-connected children. Award winners are selected from schools and military installations around the world by MCEC, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the transition and educational issues affecting the highly mobile military child. A delegation representing the Education Initiative and its partners was honored and officially recognized at the July 30 ceremony in Washington, D.C.
To view or use photos from the trip, please click here.


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NBA Playoffs 2011: Derrick Rose is Not Ahead of the 22-Year-Old LeBron JamesMay 25, 2011
There were two moments late in Game 4 when you had to stop whatever it was you were doing, scoot up on the couch and keep your eyes as wide as possible in fear that one split-second blink would ruin your chance at seeing history.
The 6'3'', 190 lb Derrick Rose stood at the top of the key, ball in hand, staring across at the 6'8'', 250 lb LeBron James. The two-time MVP was ready to lock down the man who had stolen away his third trophy, while the young Rose was looking to prove once and for all why he didn't need James' assistance in Chicago.
The first trip resulted in a step-back jumper. When the shot went into the air, half of me thought this was going to be Rose's Jordan-esque moment with LeBron playing the role of Bryon Russell or Craig Eloh, while the other half of me wondered why Rose didn't try to get to the rim.
The ball clanked off the rim and it seemed like Miami would come down, put the ball in LeBron's hands, inevitably winning the game with one of their three offensive weapons.
Instead, offensive foul on LeBron James.
So here it was again. Rose with the ball, James guarding him. This time the result was even worse. Rose did another step-back, but missed the rim entirely.
Seeing these two MVPs literally go up against each other made me wonder if the 22-year-old Rose is actually that far ahead of the 22-year-old LeBron in terms of personal and playoff success.
Here's what we know. The youngest superstar in the NBA, Derrick Rose, finds himself in a 3-1 hole.
At this point, being down two games, it seems very unrealistic that Rose can lead his team to three straight victories. He may be able to push a Game 6, but the way the Miami Heat have been playing—not just in this individual series, but throughout the entire playoffs—makes the likelihood of a collapse nearly impossible.
The talk has been all about how these painful defeats are "lumps" and "growing pains" that the young MVP must go through. After all, Rose could still be a senior in college.
If the rule had not switched to force players to play at least one year of college or international basketball before entering the NBA Draft, Derrick Rose would have also been a straight out of high school player, like LeBron James.
In James' first year in the NBA, he was named rookie of the year averaging 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. In his one year of College Basketball, Derrick Rose led the Memphis Tigers to a phenomenal 38-2 mark, nearly winning the National Championship. James was selected first in the draft, so was Rose. Both were named Rookie of the Year in their first NBA season.
From here on out, I'm going to compare LeBron's sophomore NBA season to Rose's rookie year, LeBron's third year to Rose's second year, etc. thus comparing them by age since the NBA rookie rule slightly messes things up.
LeBron and Rose, both at age 19/20, led their teams to average records. LeBron led the Cavaliers to a 42-40 mark and Rose took the Bulls to 41-41.
For the Cavaliers, the 42 wins finished in ninth place behind the identical record New Jersey Nets. For the Bulls, the .500 record gave them the No. 7 seed and a matchup with the Boston Celtics.
Although the Bulls pushed the Boston Celtics seven games and delivered an all time classic series in their defeat, it needs to be remembered that Kevin Garnett was injured. Imagine if LeBron had landed the No. 7 seed in 2004 and went up against the No. 2 seeded Detroit Pistons, without Ben Wallace. Is there any doubt that could have been a classic too?
At age 20/21, Rose took the Bulls to the playoffs again, but this time, lost quickly to LeBron James' Cavaliers in only five games. LeBron at 20/21 took the Cavaliers to the second round and pushed the defending champion Pistons to seven games.
In the playoffs, James averaged 30.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg and 5.8 apg. Rose was at 26.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 7.8 apg.
For Rose, his third season (this current year) resulted in an MVP, something LeBron didn't reach as early, and the No. 1 overall seed, another feat he accomplished faster than LeBron. Rose led his team to the Eastern Conference Finals, but is now in a familiar 3-1 hole to LeBron.
Believe it or not, James at the similar age of 22 went further (as of now) than Derrick Rose.
Leading his team to a No. 2 seed, the 22-year-old James went to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. Like Rose, he fell down two games (0-2), but led his Cavaliers to four straight wins, including a resounding Game 5 victory—on the road—where he scored 48 points, 29 of his team's last 30 points and the final 25 total points for Cleveland. James would go on to be swept in the NBA Finals.
To keep pace with LeBron, Rose has to lead his team all the way back to win this series. He almost did last night, but instead finds himself down two games, just like LeBron did against the Pistons.
Rose needs a legendary Game 5 performance. He needs the same type of 40 plus points, putting the offense on his back for an entire fourth quarter, display that LeBron did—at the same age—in Detroit.
It may seem difficult for a 22-year-old Rose to win three games in a row against a championship caliber, insanely aggressive, defensive team, but don't tell that to LeBron. He's already done it before.
At the same exact age.


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What more could you ask for in life than to be given an impossible challenge? – Cory Booker (1969 – ) Mayor of Newark, NJ
In sales we face goals. Every day. Every month. Every year. It's part of the job. It's what makes us better and better. The goals push us to sharpen our techniques and to train ourselves how to sell. These goals, these challenges, however, too often become the place where even the best sales people fall. They think thoughts like this: "It can't be done. I can't do it."
There are few words that wreak as much havoc as these. These thoughts will poison every moment of the sale. They will undermine every technique, no matter how good. They will come out and one form or another and poison our sales, costing us money.
We know this is true, but how do we overcome it? Take some risks! Start small. If we sold 100k last month, can we sell 105k this month? Can we spend 20 minutes a day practicing a new sales technique – one that is not in our comfort zone? Can we read an inspirational book from some of the great sales legends of our time? There are plenty.
I heard a story recently of a sales organization that was challenged with a sales gap that, from all angles, looked impossible. The numbers were too big, the time too short, the resources insufficient. What did they do? They focused on what they could do with what they had right then and there. They came up with new sales strategies on the fly. They created incentives that truly motivated sales people. They got everyone involved, and worked as a team. They hit the number that "everyone" on the outside (and even several on the inside) said could not be hit.
The "It can't be done, I can't do it" mind set crushes our chances for success before we even get out of the gate. Find the antidote for this poison and the sky is the limit.
What do you think? How should we break this all too common pattern of thinking?
~ Theo/DH