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You just meet certain people and know that there is something extraordinary about them. That is exactly the kind of person Kjerstin Gruys is. I originally met her when I was a freshman at UCLA and she was my seminar leader in a class on female body image. She introduced me to outstanding books like Naomi Woolf's The Beauty Myth and Nancy Etcoff's Survival of the Prettiest. Two years later, I am now a junior and Kjerstin is pursuing her Ph.D. in Sociology at UCLA. We are still in touch and when I saw her grace the front page of Yahoo—I had to reach out. She is going on quite a mission…a year without mirrors. Quite a feat for women these days but if anyone can do it, it's Kjerstin. I can't wait for you to read about her journey and also, a hearty congratulations on her recent marriage! I hope she can at least see the pictures! Enjoy this interview friends, Kjerstin is a keeper.
Also, you can visit Kjerstin's blog here: http://www.ayearwithoutmirrors.com/
1. You are forgoing mirrors for an entire year! What prompted this?
As you know, I'm really passionate about women having positive body image. I used to have an eating disorder, and I'll never forget how awful it was to feel so controlled by obsessing about my weight and appearance. That was almost 10 years ago, but I started struggling with body image again, around the time that I got engaged. I started getting caught up in all of the "beautiful bride" "most important day of your life" hoopla, and I panicked a bit when trying on wedding dresses. I was being critical of my looks, and I hated the feeling. It scared me that I could relapse, and I also felt really strongly that my wedding should be about celebrating my partnership with my husband, and enjoying time with friends and family members… not about what I looked like. I wanted to find some way to really re-focus my attention AWAY from my appearance. I came up with the idea of avoiding mirrors after reading about an order of nuns in 16th century Tuscany who didn't allow themselves to EVER see each other or their own bodies. I thought, "hey, maybe I ought to try that!"
2. Is it harder than you thought it would be? And if so, how?
It's easier than I thought when I'm able to control my environment. When I can cover the mirrors or go places without mirrors, like camping, I don't miss my reflection AT ALL! That said, when I'm in places where mirrors are all over the place its incredibly hard not to look at myself. It's even tougher if I'm all by myself, and I think, "oh, well nobody will know if I just take a peek!" But at the end of the day I'm not doing this for anybody else, I'm doing it for myself. That's made it possible to resist during those particularly tempting times.
3. What part of this experience has brought you the most happiness?
The greatest happiness has been an increase in confidence I've felt about my body. I focus more on how it feels than what it looks like. It's also been incredibly freeing to find out that people really don't treat me much differently these days, even though I'm wearing less makeup and probably have less-than-perfect hair most of the time!
4. So many girls struggle with eating disorders and looking at mirrors only escalates those issues. Are you hoping that your project will help other women gain more self-acceptance of their bodies?
YES! That would be so incredibly rewarding. I hope that this project helps other women and girls think about how much time and energy they're investing in their appearance, and whether it's really necessary. I'm not suggesting that all women should ditch mirrors, but I do think that we have a lot to offer the world other than our looks. Why not focus on these other things more, and our looks less? I think most women would be happier and lead more fulfilling and balanced lives.
5. What advice do you have for young women who can't make a break from the mirror?
It's easier to change your environment than it is to change your mind. Go ahead and check yourself out in the mirror in the morning, but then cover it up for the rest of the day. Spending more time looking at yourself doesn't provide any new information! It just feeds into obsessing. Or, if you feel like you're spending too much time worrying about your looks, find other things you're passionate about that can occupy your time and energy. I think it is sometimes asking too much to tell young women that they shouldn't "care about what they look like". It's fine to care about your appearance, but just don't make it the most important thing in your life!
6. How do you think our physical self-perception detracts from our happiness?
I think self-objectification detracts from our happiness in two ways. First, when we compare ourselves to images of beauty we see in the media, we always come up short and end up feeling bad about ourselves. As we discussed in class last year, advertisers depend on images of impossible, photoshopped beauty in order to sell us products… think about it: why would we buy an expensive beauty product if the advertisement told us that we look great just the way we are? So that's the first way self-objectification eats away at our happiness. The second way is when we confuse our body-esteem with our self-esteem…. or when we decide that our looks are more important than all the other things we've got going on in our lives, that all of our other successes don't matter if we aren't beautiful. When we prioritize beauty in this way, we discount all the other amazing things that should be making us feel proud and happy.
7. How has this experience changed you?
I feel more brave, and a little more sexy too!
8. Is there anything else you'd like to say?
Just that I'm thrilled we've stayed in touch. You're an amazing young woman and I've enjoyed getting to know you over the past 2 years!
Isn't she lovely, inspirational, and beautiful inside and out? Thank you so much for taking the time to share Kjerstin—please continue to motivate us to live lives outside of mirrors and make-up. And congratulations on your recent marriage!
Keep shining,
The Sunny Girl, Lauren Cook
Please follow me on Twitter by clicking here!


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I ducked out of Plant-o-Rama yesterday after hearing Tony Advent's presentation on worthy garden plants. I couldn't stay inside in the dark auditorium watching slides and listening. I schmoozed with the exhibitors for a while, had a bite to eat and then OUTSIDE! There was a Dougherty stick construction to see and it was warm enough–35F degrees.
Constructed last summer, Dougherty's work takes on a different and, in my mind, more soulful quality in the snow. The subtlety of color and the contrast of texture were very beautiful.

subset: commoncrawl


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Purple Fruit Salad with Honey Lavender Syrup for Marie
This all purple fruit salad is inspired by Marie for my Breaking Bad party menu. Hank doesn't need a menu item, he's going to be the hero of the whole show (RIGHT?!?), but I can't forget flawless human being Marie and her love and ownership of all things purple. A friend also suggested I could make a salad out of things I stole from the grocery store, which, I have to admit, is an amazing idea. Instead, I rounded up all the purple fruit I could find, and then took it a step further with an additional layer of purple by making a lavender-infused syrup to go over it.
This salad is a new favorite- I think I'll be using the lavender syrup with fruit salads again and again, purple or not.
I found the dried lavender in the spice sections of Whole Foods. The syrup will keep for a long time, feel free to use only as much as you like and reserve the rest for later.
More from my Breaking Bad party menu.
Purple Fruit Salad with Honey Lavender Syrup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender
- About 8 cups purple fruit- I used figs, plums, blackberries, blueberries, and grapes
- juice of 1 lemon
Combine honey and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add lavender and simmer until reduced and thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool and steep for about half and hour.
Wash and cut all fruit. Combine with lemon juice. Drizzle with lavender syrup to taste.


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The second largest city in the region of Dalmatia, Split offers an abundance of Roman ruins, beautiful beaches and Croatian seafood dishes, fresh from the Adriatic
Why go?
Croatia's second largest city is a living testament to its ancient heritage. Explore Roman ruins that blend seamlessly with modern living; where age-old traditions are still observed by the cosmopolitan residents of this thriving Dalmatian city.
What to do
The beating heart of Split lies within the walls of Diocletian's Palace, which stands proudly on the harbour looking out to the Adriatic islands of Brac and Hvar. Completed in 305AD, it was constructed as a retirement residence for the Emperor and remains one of the most impressive Roman ruins in existence. After his death, refugees fleeing the Avars seized the building, turning it from a military and imperial residence into a fortified town, erecting homes within the palace walls. Today, the red-roofed houses are filled with numerous shops and restaurants.
Off the main palace courtyard, the Peristil – where the Emperor would appear to address his subjects – stands the Cathedral of St Dominius. It was originally intended as a mausoleum for Diocletian, but the Christians he so mercilessly persecuted during his lifetime claimed the octagonal building as a resting place for their martyred Archbishop Dominius, the patron saint of Split, instead. Behind the intricately carved walnut doors the domed interior is filled with beautiful religious artefacts, including the superb baroque altar of St Dominius.
Across the Peristil, guarded by a headless black granite sphinx, lies the Temple of Jupiter, home to a striking figure of John the Baptist by world-renowned modern sculptor Ivan Meštrovic, a son of Split who has donated many of his finest works to the city.
Outside the palace walls and behind the waterfront promenade of Obala Hrvatskag Narodnog Preporoda, thankfully shortened to the 'Riva', the old town is a maze of narrow streets and varied architecture. Austro-Hungarian and Venetian constructions blend effortlessly with the dominant Roman style. Restaurants offering simple home-cooking with quality local produce nestle in the winding streets alongside chic boutiques where the ever-immaculate inhabitants of Split sate their hunger for designer labels.
For a dose of culture, take time to visit Split Art Gallery (00 385 2134 0800) – it has a fantastic collection of paintings from the 14th century onwards. For total immersion in local talent, head to the Meštrovic Gallery. Housed in Ivan's mansion, the collection includes an impressive sculpture garden.
The verdant Marjan Hill provides a backdrop to the city, and a short stroll from the old town affords forests, old chapels and a peek at Split's most exclusive suburb. On the other side of the harbour are the city's stunning beaches including Balvice, where locals play the traditional game of picigin, similar to volleyball, in the shallow turquoise waters.
Where to stay
You can't get more central than Hotel Peristil within the ancient walls of Diocletian's Palace for an overwhelming sense of the city's ancient history. For five-star luxury, Le Meridien Lav is eight kilometres outside Split with a regular shuttle bus to the centre. Perched on rocks with breathtaking views of the Adriatic, the hotel has a private beach and marina. The Hotel Park is a renovated townhouse in the leafy area of Balvice, just a short stroll from the palace and the beach.
Where to eat and drink
Hotel resorts are all about fine dining, but simple home cooking with super-fresh ingredients is the order of the day at Split's konoba. Fish are hauled from local waters daily, forming the basis of most menus in these popular, family-run tavernas. Šperun (00 385 21 346 999) serves appetising staples such as grilled sardines doused in olive oil. Glistening heaps of black cuttlefish risotto and brodet, a traditional fish stew, are favourites at Konoba Varos (00 385 21 396 138) and, for meat eaters, the local classic is pašticada – beef stuffed with lard slowly roasted in red wine and spices, served with potato dumplings. Croatian dishes are hearty and filling, so you will not go hungry.
Time running out?
Recreate scenes from Gladiator among the ruins of the amphitheatre in the deserted Roman city of Salona.
Trip tip
Climb the bell tower at the Cathedral of St Dominius for a bird's-eye view of Diocletian's Palace and the surrounding city.
Currency is the Croatian kuna. Split is one hour ahead of GMT and a two-hour 30-minute flight from London.
Getting there
Croatia Airlines (020 8563 0022; www.croatiaairlines.com) flies from Gatwick and Heathrow to Split via Zagreb. EasyJet (0905 821 0905; www.easyjet.com) has regular direct flights from Gatwick to Split.
Split Tourist Information Centre: 00 385 2134 5606; www.visitsplit.com. Visit the website for opening times.
This guide first appeared in Food and Travel magazine.


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Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment dipped to its lowest level in more than four years in February when it dropped to 7.7 percent.
AP Graphics Bank
TALLAHASSEE. Fla. - Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment dipped to its lowest level in more than four years in February when it dropped to 7.7 percent.
It's the lowest jobless rate in Florida since October 2008 when unemployment stood at 7.4 in the state.
There were 729,000 jobless Floridians in February when the state's unemployment rate was 7.7 percent was the same as the national rate.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott successfully campaigned on creating 700,000 new jobs in Florida over a seven-year span and has made that the primary issue of his administration.
The Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday that 128,100 jobs have been added in Florida over the past year with the leisure and hospitality industry leading the way with more than 41,000 new jobs.
Unemployment rates fell in 22 U.S. states in February from January, a sign that hiring gains are benefiting many parts of the country.
Nationally, unemployment rates rose in 12 states and were unchanged in 16
The unemployment rate slid to a four-year low of 7.7 percent in February, down from 7.9 percent in January. Since November, employers across the country have added an average of 200,000 jobs a month, nearly double the average from last spring.
States hit hardest during the recession are showing improvement.
In Nevada, unemployment dropped to 9.6 percent last month, down from 11.8 percent a year ago. That's the biggest year-over-year decrease among states.
One reason for the big drop is that people have stopped applying for jobs. Nevada's work force -- those working or looking for work -- fell nearly 1 percent in the year through February. Only those looking for work are counted as unemployed. But hiring accelerated, too: Jobs in Nevada rose 2 percent over the past year.
Unemployment in California fell to 9.6 percent last month, down from 10.8 percent in February 2012.
California and Nevada are still tied with Mississippi for the nation's highest unemployment rate.
North Dakota once again held the nation's lowest unemployment rate, at 3.3 percent. The state is benefiting from a boom in oil and natural gas production. Nebraska had the second-lowest rate, at 3.8 percent.
Overall, 42 states added jobs in February from January, and just eight lost jobs. The biggest monthly job gains came in Texas (up nearly 81,000) and California (up more than 41,000).
In the 12 months up to February, Texas gained nearly 294,000 jobs, and California 128,000. On a percentage basis, North Dakota reported the fastest job growth over the past year, rising 5 percent.


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poles, orange, painted, hooded, child, green, walking, sweatshirt, juvenile, sweater, rod, pullover, person, pole, youngster, clothing, minor, kid
child in green hooded sweatshirt walking past orange painted poles


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REEBOK "Sheriff" Snapback Cap
Posted by Maui, March 30th, 2012 03:03 am under Reebok
REEBOK is coming back to he light with it's Classic campaign including music stars like Bei Maejor, Tyga, Mike Posner, Swizz Beatz, and more. Today the brand releases its "Sheriff" snapback cap to the masses as apart of its marketing-palooza.
As shown above the main feature of the cap is the large feather across the right panels from the front to the back. The backdrop is Hunter Green with the REEBOK logo is embroidered in Black on the front. Get yours today HERE.


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Traveling Luck for Anvil Park, Texas, United States
Where is Anvil Park?What's around Anvil Park?
Wikipedia near Anvil Park
Where to stay near Anvil Park
The timezone in Anvil Park is America/Rankin_Inlet
Sunrise at 07:22 and Sunset at 18:27. It's Dark
Latitude. 35.9222°, Longitude. -100.3122°
Weather near Anvil Park; Report from Perryton, Perryton Ochiltree County Airport, TX 31.5km away
Weather :
Temperature: -3°C / 27°F
Wind: 15km/h Northeast gusting to 20.7km/h
Cloud: Broken at 9500ft Solid Overcast at 11000ft
Weather :
Temperature: -3°C / 27°F
Wind: 15km/h Northeast gusting to 20.7km/h
Cloud: Broken at 9500ft Solid Overcast at 11000ft
Satellite map around Anvil Park
Loading map of Anvil Park and it's surroudings
Geographic features & Photographs around Anvil Park, in Texas, United States
- stream;
- a body of running water moving to a lower level in a channel on land.
- Clear Creek (0.4km)
- West Fork Clear Creek (0.9km)
- Elk Creek (6.5km)
- Dry Creek (7.1km)
- McKay Creek (8.8km)
- West Fork Dry Creek (8.9km)
- Red Deer Creek (9km)
- Big Timber Creek (10.4km)
- Big Timber Creek (11.4km)
- Persimmon Creek (11.7km)
- East Prong Big Timber Creek (13.5km)
- Needmore Creek (14.1km)
- Dry Fork Boggy Creek (15.3km)
- Boggy Creek (15.3km)
- Horse Creek (16.9km)
- Turkey Creek (17.9km)
- West Horse Creek (19.9km)
- Cabin Creek (20.6km)
- Simmons Creek (21.5km)
- church;
- a building for public Christian worship.
- Catholic Church (7.6km)
- First Baptist Church (7.8km)
- Central Baptist Church (7.9km)
- Methodist Church (7.9km)
- First Presbyterian Church (8km)
- Believers Covenant Fellowship Church (9km)
- Abundant Life Assembly of God Church (9km)
- school;
- building(s) where instruction in one or more branches of knowledge takes place.
- Baker School (8.1km)
- Baker Elementary School (8.1km)
- Canadian High School (8.1km)
- Canadian Middle School (8.1km)
- Canadian Elementary School (8.1km)
- Canadian Alterative School (8.1km)
- Local Feature;
- A Nearby feature worthy of being marked on a map..
- Anvil Park (0km)
- Urschell Ranch (2.2km)
- Lake Marvin Campground (14.9km)
- Old Military Road Campground (15.7km)
- McQuiddy Curves (21.8km)
- populated place;
- a city, town, village, or other agglomeration of buildings where people live and work.
- Clear Creek (2.8km)
- Canadian (8km)
- Glazier (13.6km)
- Springers Ranch (historical) (15.3km)
- reservoir(s);
- an artificial pond or lake.
- Lake Marvin (15.2km)
- Lake Kiowa (15.4km)
- M K Brown Reservoir (15.7km)
- Cleveland Lake (15.9km)
- dam;
- a barrier constructed across a stream to impound water.
- M K Brown Reservoir Dam (15.7km)
- Lake Marvin Dam (15.7km)
- Cleveland Lake Dam (15.9km)
- flat;
- a small level or nearly level area.
- Tanner Flat (6.8km)
- Big Flat (12.6km)
- airport;
- a place where aircraft regularly land and take off, with runways, navigational aids, and major facilities for the commercial handling of passengers and cargo.
- Urschel Ranch Airport (1.1km)
- Hemphill County Airport (11km)
- tower;
- a high conspicuous structure, typically much higher than its diameter.
- KEZP-FM (Canadian) (17km)
- KEZP-FM (Canadian) (17.4km)
- building(s);
- a structure built for permanent use, as a house, factory, etc..
- River Valley Pioneer Museum (8.2km)
- hospital;
- a building in which sick or injured, especially those confined to bed, are medically treated.
- Hemphill County Hospital (8.9km)
- meteorological station;
- a station at which weather elements are recorded.
- Canadian, Hemphill County Airport (10.4km)
- valley;
- an elongated depression usually traversed by a stream.
- Washburn Arroyo (20.7km)
- spring(s);
- a place where ground water flows naturally out of the ground.
- Jo Spring (20.7km)
- second-order administrative division;
- a subdivision of a first-order administrative division.
- Hemphill County (11.3km)
- park;
- an area, often of forested land, maintained as a place of beauty, or for recreation.
Wikipedia entries close to
Anvil Park
- Canadian, Texas city city o
- Higgins, Texas city city o
- Lipscomb, Texas city city o
- Antelope Hills (Oklahoma) city city o
- Miami, Texas city city o
- Washita River river
- Mobeetie, Texas city city o
- Reydon, Oklahoma city city o
- Crawford, Oklahoma city city o
- Wheeler, Texas city city o
- Arnett, Oklahoma city city o
- Shattuck, Oklahoma city city o
- Darrouzett, Texas city city o
- Follett, Texas city city o
- Booker, Texas city city o
- Gage, Oklahoma city city o
Airports close to Anvil Park
Gage(GAG), Gage, Usa (79.5km)
Amarillo international(AMA), Amarillo, Usa (186.5km)
Hobart muni(HBR), Hobart, Usa (193.9km)
Altus afb(LTS), Altus, Usa (212.4km)


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TAMPA, Fla. — With the Republican National Convention in full-throated roar, nominee Mitt Romney and his team reached out Wednesday to critical voting groups — veterans, Latinos and women.
The GOP nominee ducked out of his own convention in Tampa to tell the American Legion Convention in Indianapolis that a Romney administration would do better by a military threatened with "reckless" defense cuts and by veterans hungry for jobs.
"This president's biggest failure is that he's not delivered those jobs," Romney said. "As president, I will get America to work again."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a top Latino voice in the GOP, made the rounds of morning talk shows to defend the GOP nominee's policies. And Ann Romney and Janna Ryan, the wife of Romney's running mate, teamed up to headline a "Women for Romney" fundraiser.
At the women's event, Ann Romney offered her husband as "the one person who is going to turn this country around," and promised that her husband would keep in mind the needs of women and families, if elected.
Later, she attended a Latino Coalition lunch, where son Craig addressed guests in Spanish and described his father as "a man you can trust."
Ann Romney told the Latino crowd that Democrats try to make it look like Republicans "don't care about this community. That's not true. We very much care about this community."
Romney's nomination now official, he was free at last to start dipping into his general-election pot of campaign cash.
"We're excited that now he's going to be able to spend money, both in English and in Spanish, to explain to people how his policies will help grow the economy, help small business, help people have the confidence to invest in the future," Rubio said on "CBS This Morning."
To ensure the cash keeps rolling in, Ann Romney e-mailed supporters a fundraising appeal.
President Barack Obama campaigned Wednesday before a college crowd in Charlottesville, Va. First lady Michelle Obama, on her own outreach campaign, traveled to New York to promote her healthy-living initiatives while visiting "The Dr. Oz Show" and Rachael Ray's talk show. She also was making a guest appearance on Wednesday's "Late Show with David Letterman." The Associated Press


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(UPDATE: in an email conversation, H J and I have made amends, apologising to one another for getting riled up. This post hopes to encourage readers and commenters to avoid getting tangled up in such mutual-riling-uppings in the future. Understand how it happens, seek to avoid it.)
On Monday, an ordained minister and author commenting under the initials "H J" visited this blog and left us five comments. I think it worthwhile to pick apart how this conversation got derailed, or never found rails in the first place.
Cynical and uninformed. What a bore these comments are. Ever thought of checking the facts before opining? Or would that defeat the object?
Comments, plural. I'm not sure which comments exactly she was referring to. Does she include the blog post itself, or does she mean the comments? I think "Turn or Burn"'s comment was probably the most inflammatory, but she chose plural. Seems like a generally sweeping comment to me? I responded:
H J, do you have some facts to share with us?
While I was being patient, I wasn't patient and thoughtful enough. In retrospect, I could have gone with "H J, can you be a little bit more specific, please? Is there something specific you could point at that you feel is uninformed or cynical?"
Why would you expect me to do your homework for you? Seems like you have far too much time to chat baloney and party, and not enough work to do. Do your own research, washing, cleaning and cooking, and earn your own keep. By that time, you should have something worthwhile to contribute to society. Being part of the solution instead of part of the problem will make you feel better about yourself, and more positive about living on the planet. Then people will be interested in what you have to say. At the moment the only people who take note are those who share the same grouchy couch potato attitude, and those who happen to land here by coincidence – like me. Here's hoping you get a life soon.
Now isn't that a direct personal attack, if you ever saw one? Completely and utterly uninformed, unresearched, unwarranted. Angry? This comment rubs me up the wrong way in so many ways, I don't even think I should start explaining.
In fact, just revisiting this comment requires me to breathe deeply and calm myself. At this point I didn't know she was an author (of Christian books) or a minister, or female for that matter. But she obviously considered herself a Christian, valiantly defending Shofar. And unfortunately another giving Christianity a terrible name.
I thought it possible to open a conversation with such a person, both at the time of commenting there, and starting this blog post (at which point I wondered "wait, who is H J?", and I did a quick Google search based on her email address).
Kenneth was the first to come to the defence of our little community (me the blogger, and my readers and commenters):
The above comment is both cynical.
And uninformed.
Pot, meet kettle.
Her next comment had her dishing out advice to me, which in retrospect makes much more sense if you realise that's the role she typically plays. But again, her advice is premature, because she doesn't know me. She calls me angry, warns me to keep seeking and avoid becoming a close-minded bigot. She says I have a backlog to catch up, as I received no training in the humanities (being an engineer). But, apart from that, I think some well-meant words of encouragement. Including this cute sentence:
Words create atmosphere, and your negativity and judgementalism about things you do not understand, are attracting negative things to you.
The problem was, in her previous comments, her words had created an atmosphere of negativity and judgementalism of my friends and I, people she does not understand, and this attracted some negative attitudes back to her.
What we must realise is, often people that find themselves in the "One True Church"(TM) or something of similar persuasion, really do believe they have the one truth. They are used to constant reinforcement from their friends and community. A direct and pointed challenge to their claims and ways is something they really are not used to. Now what do you think happens when you attempt to directly and blatantly point out to an ordained minister and Christian book author their own hypocrisy? You don't get to start a conversation…
Sometimes you have to swallow the abuse other people hurl at you, and return nothing but compassion. After creating a relationship, after building some dialogue and interaction, only then can you find enough to build on to get to the point of explaining how the other's words came across, carefully and gently.
H J's last comment was this:
Oh and Hugo is allowed to insult and defame and spread false rumours about Shofar, brand anyone who believes the Bible as a foam at the mouth fundamentalist and offend them. That is perfectly ok. Everyone who disagrees is a troll according to you. Yeah yeah. Same tune, same chorus. It was not entertaining, enlightening or in any way worth the effort. Closed mind. Close the door. What a waste. Ho hum and so goodbye to you.
I would like to understand what she's so upset about. Apart from the things she seems rather sensitive about: did I even call anyone a fundamentalist, anywhere in the past… many months? I've been consciously avoiding name calling for quite some time, and would like to have it pointed out to me if anyone perceives something I did not intend. And yet, "foam at the mouth fundamentalist"…
I realise the other problematic and likely unknown word is "troll"…
H J, I would like to apologise for coming on so strong in my blog. I didn't mean any disrespect to you, but it is hard to remain completely calm when you and your friends have been accused of a number of horrible things. I'm sure you can appreciate that, as it seems you experienced a similar offence (even if it was not meant). I would still like to converse, if it is at all possible.
I thought a couple of words of clarification might be needed with regards to the word "troll": it is internet jargon. See the Wikipedia page. The term trolling originates from the fishing technique by the same name. A troll, in the context of the Internet, is someone who throws out some bait on a public forum of some sort with the intent of provoking a response, rather than taking part in any worthwhile discussion. With this explanation, can you better understand why it looked like you were trolling with your first couple of comments? It wasn't a case of name calling with mythological Scandinavian creatures.
We could have a conversation via email, if you like. If we do, I may write a summary of our conversation, which I will send to you for approval before publishing, or, "as jy kans sien", we can try and have a civil discussion directly on my blog. This email is a part of a new blog post that summarises Monday's exchange. I know blogs are often not the ideal place for a conversation. The open and public nature can make it quite hostile. We'll try our best to remain civil though, if you will do the same. Basically, we only request that people refrain from behaviour that looks like trolling.
In particular, I would like to understand how you experienced the previous exchange. What exactly was it that you felt was "spreading false rumours"? At which point did you feel I was implying anyone was a fundamentalist? (Your words were "foam in the mouth fundamentalist".)
You know, fundamentalism was originally a positive word. It was used by Christians that wanted to reaffirm a number of fundamentals of their faith. One of my Shofar acquaintances actually told me he's quite happy to be labelled a fundamentalist.
To be clear about the purpose of this discussion: it will be about mutual understanding. For example, I want to understand what was upsetting to you. I am working on communicating as clearly and neutrally as possible. I would also love to be understood, like any human, and not judged and lectured to from the get go, so if you're interested in obtaining a better understanding of how I think or feel about things, that would also be great.
I hope to hear from you. Even if it is only a polite request that I don't contact you again. I will respect that, and take that as the default position if I don't hear from you. But, like I said…
Hoping to hear from you,


text:
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For Immediate Release
(Alexandria, Va., February 27, 2007)—March hiring projections appear strong as most employers from the manufacturing and service sectors plan to increase hiring in the coming five weeks. The findings are reported in the March report of the Leading Indicator of National Employment® (LINE®) index, a collaborative effort between the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations.
This LINE® employment expectations report references the same March period as the report the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release on April 6, 2007. The responses in the LINE® survey are weighted using the proportion of total employment represented by the respondent's industry. Beginning this month, these weights have been recalculated to incorporate the annual benchmark revisions that the BLS released on February 2, 2007.
The LINE® employment expectations index indicates strong expansion for manufacturers and service-sector employers through March. There are clear indications, however, that while organizations are successful in filling open positions, they continue to find it increasingly difficult to recruit the skilled talent they need. In February 2007, both the manufacturing and service-sectors revealed a slow-rise in new-hire compensation, compared to a year ago. Responses to the February SHRM/Rutgers LINE® survey provide no evidence of wide-spread wage inflation.
The indicator reports on four employment measures: job expectations, job vacancies, new-hire compensation and recruitment difficulty. The LINE® employment expectations index has consistently provided an early indication of the upcoming BLS numbers. The LINE® "net increasing index" is calculated by taking the percentage increasing minus the percentage decreasing.
The employment expectations for March 2007 increased from February, with 50.1 percent of employers reporting plans to hire in the next five weeks. Slightly more manufacturers expect to expand their workforce in March 2007 than in March 2006 (58.4 percent versus 55.7 percent). Employers reported increases in the number of exempt vacancies (28.8 percent versus 25.9 percent). Largely the result of typical seasonal fluctuations, the non-exempt vacancy index rose from 3.8 in January 2007 to 17.4 in February 2007. Within manufacturing, the February 2007 recruiting difficulty index (18.5) is slightly below the February 2006 level (23.3).
The year-over-year outlook shows substantially more service-sector firms expect to expand their workforce in March 2007 than in March 2006 (61.4 percent versus 45.2 percent). In March 2006, service-sector employment rose by 217,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The February 2007 exempt vacancy index is above the February 2006 level. The percentage of service-sector firms reporting fewer exempt vacancies fell from 20.5 percent in February 2006 to 9.1 percent in February 2007. Service-sector firms are having much less success at reducing the number of unfilled exempt positions. The non-exempt vacancy index dipped slightly from 23.2 in January 2007 to 21.0 in February 2007. Compared to February 2006, in February 2007 more service-sector firms are reporting increases in non-exempt vacancies. The February 2007 recruiting difficulty index (10.4) is above the level of February 2006 (8.5). The percentage of service-sector firms reporting increases in recruiting difficulty remained unchanged (14.6 percent) in January 2007 to February 2007.
The LINE® index is an economic indicator that identifies early economic trends and changes in the national job market by surveying human resource (HR) executives at manufacturing and service-sector firms. The indicator is released at 8:30 am ET on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
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The US has made a major breakthrough in laser fusion technology, which could help the megapower combat China's future energy dominance with its rare Earth metals.
Following recent experiments from the National Ignition Facility, it's hoped that using laser fusion technology, it may be possible to control the fusion of atoms which would create similar conditions to those found in the Earth's Sun.
While nuclear power works by splitting atoms, the idea is that the laser technology will fuse them together and create an 'ignite' type reaction. The recent test focused on igniting a tiny cylinder of gold called a hohlraum It was previously thought that plasma created by the fusion would interrupt the possibility of igniting the hohlraum and turning laser energy into fuel. However, Siegfried Glenzer's team managed to ignite it and raise 669 kiloJoules of energy, far more than any previous tests.
Glenzer told BBC News that if that steady stream of power could be maintained, it could boil the contents of over 50 Olympic sized swimming pools in just one second.
The results are significant, says Dr Glenzer, because his team has discovered that plasma didn't reduce the hohlraum's ability to absorb the laser light.
With oil reserves running out and the world desperate for a new, sustainable energy – and China holding out on it's rare Earth metals that could prove the answer – it's good news for the US and the western world.