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Friends and family, most of you who know me know I don't post on Facebook very often, but I wanted to share some things that have been happening in my life over the last few months with one major thing that happened this past Monday.
After years of physical inactivity and being thoroughly disgusted with myself in how I felt, how much I weighed, and how tired I was all the time I decided to do something about it. My lovely wife Amy Boozer Franklin had been encouraging me for several months to try out CrossFit and do so at CrossFit Central because several of her friends and co-workers go to that gym and really like it. At the end of September I made the decision to check out CrossFit Central and enroll in their Elements Class which is comprised of three 1 hour sessions to go over exercises performed in class and assess the individuals fitness level. Well to say the least I was very unfit and couldn't even complete the introductory Elements class…I showed up all 3 days but was physically unable to finish. Still I decided to enroll in the regular CrossFit classes. In the beginning I often asked myself, "What did you get yourself into and why did you sign up for this?". But I kept pushing and kept showing up on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. CrossFit Central also holds monthly nutritional meetings and I decided to attend one where I was introduced to the Paleo Diet. I decided to give it a try since I knew my current eating habits were not good, not good at all (lots of eating out, eating too much, and drinking too many sodas). My CrossFit Central coach, Zachary Thiel, is awesome and always encouraging, but also pushes us to do our best and keep moving. He also introduced me to Advocare, which is a supplement company based in Plano, TX. I started on AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge. The combination of switching to a Paleo diet, taking the 24 day AdvoCare challenge and 2 days a week of CrossFit classes enabled me to lose between 10-15 pounds in the first month or so. I continue to take several Advocare supplements to aid in recovery from the workouts, provide an energy boost, and help with my weight loss. I now attend the 5:30am T/Th class. You read that right people, that's AM not PM. You can pick yourselves up off the floor after passing out from the shock of me getting up that early. I actually get up between 4-4:30am so I can get ready and make the drive to the gym and stretch before class. Since mid-January I've added a 3rd day of CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting by joining a small group that my coach leads at noon on Fridays.
Well since the last week of September, 2013 I've managed to lose 35 pounds, drop 2 pants sizes, and on Monday, March 3rd my doctor took me off blood pressure medication that I've been taking for the past 4 years. Getting off the blood pressure medication was one of the big motivations I had when I began this journey. My lovely, supportive wife and two cute, wonderful, and sweet children are the other huge motivators for me to keep headed down this life transformation. And lastly I really wanted to make this change for myself. I think it would be even more difficult than it is to make these changes and keep at it if I was only doing this for others and not myself too. I feel better than I have in a long time. I have more energy now than I did 6 months ago (helps me keep up with the kids) and am at a weight that I haven't seen in over 20 years.
I really enjoy the sport of CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting and would encourage anyone who's thought about checking it out to find a good CrossFit gym and try it for yourself. And you don't have to be in shape to try it…everything can be scaled to help you perform the exercises. For those of you who live in Austin, I highly recommend CrossFit Central. All of the coaches are great and are there to help you succeed in meeting your goals. I want to give a big shout out to Zachary Thiel at CrossFit Central…thanks coach! And thank you to Amy Franklin for being so supportive; and encouraging me to get off my lazy butt and try this out in the first place. I love you!
CrossFit + Paleo + Advocare = BIG RESULTS
I am incredibly proud to coach Jason and love his dedications and drive. Goes to show when you have a purpose anything is possible!
Way to go Jason!!


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Raspberry Truffles
Sweeten the holidays with homemade candy. Share edible gifts wrapped in festive boxes or bags.
More From Allyou
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 99
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Protein: 1g
- Carbohydrate: 11g
- Fiber: 0g
- Cholesterol: 6mg
- Sodium: 18mg
- 8 ounces white chocolate
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
- 6 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
- 1 drop red food coloring
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1 ounce white chocolate
- 1 drop red food coloring
- Melt 8 oz. white chocolate with 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam and 1/8 tsp. salt. Let cool. Stir in 6 Tbsp. soft unsalted butter and 1 drop red food coloring. Refrigerate until thick. Prepare balls as in step 3 above. Coat as in steps 4 and 5, but use 8 oz. semisweet chocolate. Microwave 1 oz. white chocolate until smooth. Stir in 1 drop red food coloring. Drizzle pink chocolate onto each truffle. Yields about 3 doz.
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Boring, OR 97009 Map, Local Resources and Photos
|City/Town Names
|Current Weather & Forecast
Local Physical, Cultural & Historic Features
The 97009 ZIP Code is centered1 in Clackamas County at latitude 45.424 and longitude -122.384. It is a standard type ZIP Code. Clackamas County is in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC -8 hours) and observes daylight savings time.
ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 97009 has a land area of 30.59 sq. miles and a water area of 0.11 sq. miles for Census 2000. Demographic Profile
Boring, OR 97009 Map (Interactive ZIP Code Map of 97009 ZIP Code)
|Driving Directions
Nearby Cities, Towns & Census Designated Places
Boring, OR
(< 0.1 mile)
Barton, OR (2.7 miles SSW)
Hillsview, OR (2.7 miles NW)
Orient, OR (3.4 miles NNE)
Kelso, OR (3.6 miles E)
Pleasant Home, OR
(3.6 miles NE)
Damascus, OR (3.6 miles W)
Powell Valley, OR (4.3 miles N)
Cottrell, OR (4.5 miles ENE)
Eagle Creek, OR (4.7 miles SSE)
Nearby Neighborhoods, Subdivisions & Other Small Populated Places
Damascus Heights, OR
(3.1 miles W)
Bull Run, OR (7.4 miles E)
Holcomb, OR (7.5 miles WSW)
Harmony, OR (9.5 miles W)
Parker Landing Light, WA (10.7 miles N)
Parkersville, WA
(10.8 miles N)
Henrici, OR (11.2 miles SW)
North Highland, OR (11.8 miles S)
Mount Pleasant, OR (12.3 miles WSW)
Kellogg Park, OR (12.5 miles W)
ZIP Codes - Key Concepts
- ZIP Codes are categories for grouping mailing addresses and are not exact geographic regions.
- The centroid of a ZIP Code may be in one County and the associated city/town in another.
- In rural areas, a single ZIP Code may be used for cities and towns in several different Counties.
- ZIP Code "areas" can overlap, be subsets of each other, or be artificial constructs with no geographic area.
- ZIP Codes are only loosely tied to cities.
1 Keeping the above key concepts in mind, what we informally refer to as the "center" of a ZIP Code is most often actually the centroid of a polygon.


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Wordless Wednesdays: Research Snapshots 9
Confession: I kind of miss my pouched ratsKeep reading »
Wordless Wednesday: Sleeping Beauty
Still bringing you Pouched Rat adorableness. Video recorded by M Sellers.Keep reading »
Wordless Wednesday: Pouched Rat Tasty Treats
May 7th, 2014 | 1
I'm sure this translates to Om Nom Nom!Keep reading »
Wordless Wednesday: Pouched Rat having a treat
April 16th, 2014 | 2
This is a video recording of me introducing a new snack to the African Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) – fresh pumpkin seeds. This fellow really seems to like it. I'm super impressed by this species dexterity. His handling of this seeds shows that. This is just a snap shot of an experiment I am [...]Keep reading »
Wordless Wednesday: Research Snapshots 6
I was trying very hard to share some new photos from but I can't seen to upload any pictures today. I'm missing my rats, actually, so revisiting the photographs of them makes me recall all of their shenanigans. #OiTNBrats. My equipment isn't fully set up so I'm not scoring videos yet and I'm still awaiting [...]Keep reading »
Wordless Wednesday: Pouched Rat Research Gif
March 26th, 2014 | 1
This is a series of shots of me cleaning this Barnes Maze between behavioral observations of my research subjects, the African Giant Pouched Rat, Cricetomys ansorgei. The diameter of the table or Barnes Maze is 6 feet across, and is nearly feet off of the ground. Which is why I use an extended squeegee and [...]Keep reading »
Wordless Wednesday: Research Snapshots 4
Because I know you all have missed seeing the rats. Here are some photos of the most adorable research subjects, EVER!! These photos are from novel food introduction tests. He has a treat (the green alfalfa cube in the lower right part of the frame) but he is getting into pre-nap posture. Hey, I'm [...]Keep reading »
Wordless Wednesday: Research Snapshots 3
Waking up from a bad dream – Fear of academic writing
January 13th, 2014 | 6
I declared the 2014 as the year to tie up all of my loose ends. I have so many things I need to finish. I mean desperately finish. Thanks to a kick in the butt pep talk from Dr. Isis, my first priority is my research writing. All other writing tasks are secondary – that [...]Keep reading »
FAQ about #DNLeeLab research and African Giant Pouched Rats
December 13th, 2013 | 3
I like sharing science with people; and that includes demystifying research by lifting the curtain and showing people the day-by-day stuff that my research project involves. Since I take to Twitter to give updates, quips, and yes wise-cracks, I tend to get a lot of questions – very good and interesting questions about what I [...]Keep reading »


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Globys is a profitable, globally admired, engineering-oriented company that is thriving in the very hot field of Big Data analytics for telecommunications and financial service providers. We're giving our customers what they need the most — deep insight into their data and innovative software to help them tailor products and services to meet their customer needs. And, we think that's really cool!
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What's better than a hot brunette in the kitchen? A hot brunette in the kitchen getting naked and showing her big round tits. Those boobs are absolutely perfect in every way
Brunette With Perfect Body
You gotta love that smile!
Do you guys want to see more of me?
This teen has the perfect body. She really enjoys having erotic and tasteful nude pics of her
It doesn't get any better than this. Watch this petite teen blonde expose her perfect body and her small tits in there artistic nude pictures. She looks right into the camera with her beautiful blue eyes in an hypnotizing way. I bet you can't help but look. As a bonus, she reveals her shaved pierced pussy. Enjoy these tasteful nudes
This luscious nude redhead is very horny and ready to let you watch her play. As she is spread out all over this bed, so are her legs and you will have no problem getting a great look and that perfectly wet pussy of hers. She's one hell of a naked beauty and she not only aims to please her audience but she without a doubt does it sucessfully. You are just a click away from watching this girl in action as she knocks your socks off as her hands explore every part of her body. Click and watch and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Sweet, soft, sensual, and passionate lesbian sex. These artistic nudes really demonstrate the beauty of hardcore sex and they are absolutely gorgeous. The moment I caught a glimpse of these beauties was the minute I fell instantly in love with their performance. They are incredible, they have great bodies, great chemistry and they really know how to please each other and touch in all the right places. There is nothing these sluts did wrong, the best lesbian action for me yet and I can't wait to watch it over and over again. They aim to please each other and their viewers and these artistic nudes defnitely succeed every time.
There is nothing quite as sexy as a teen babe with pigtails. If she plays with them, it means she's into you. This sexy blonde pigtail teen babe is showing off her tiny yet perky boobs. She is an adorable adult model trying to make a name for herself in the industry. With a face and body like that, there is no way for this girl to go but straight to the top. That is how beautiful she is, with her squeezable tits and adorable smile. You just want to grab her and… I won't ruin for you. Create your own fantasy.


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You're right. I'm sorry. Clearly the fact that I have inexplicably decided to maintain an interest in men as well as women is an insult to you and all you stand for. I am a shallow, selfish, trendy-wannabe individual, and it's people like me that make the lesbian dating scene so crap now.
Have you ever heard of the Kinsey scale? It's kind of simplistic and outdated, but the germ of the idea was there: that rather than being two discrete categories of human sexuality, there's actually a scale with subtler gradations than that, with 0 being exclusively heterosexual and 6 being exclusively homosexual. Forgive me, dear Bitter Lesbians, for daring to waver around the middle of said scale, and even (shock horror!) occasionally moving back and forth depending on my mood and/or current inclination. For example, while I was at Oxford, I would have rated myself at more of a 1 ("Predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual"), whereas now I reckon I'm more like a 5 ("Predominantly homosexual, only incidentally heterosexual"), but that'll most likely change in future too, because like everything else sexuality is fluid.
Most people sit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, rather than restricting themselves to one extreme. How many times have you heard people say "I'd go gay/straight for…"? As Kinsey himself said, "The world is not to be divided into sheep and goats. It is a fundamental of taxonomy that nature rarely deals with discrete categories… The living world is a continuum in each and every one of its aspects." If you're holding out for that committed true lesbian who eschews the dreaded Y chromosome in all its forms, you might be waiting a while, because something like only 1 or 2% of women will fall into this category, and that's not considering how many may have had the dreaded "straight experience." You writing off that incident where you let the spotty boy from the year above finger you behind the bins as a one-off mistake which totally doesn't count is pretty much the same as the way a confused frat boy who may have had a "moment" with another member of the frat still totally isn't gay at all because he was just drunk and etc etc etc. If your potential girlfriend has ever had any boyfriends or interest in men, does that automatically make her shallow and selfish too? Do you administer questionnaires to all possible dates, or do you skip right ahead to the full psychological testing? If so, your dating pool is shrinking and shrinking, which may be another possible reason for your romantic woes.
Say I had a long-term girlfriend, and we were all good friends for years and years, and then me and said girlfriend split up. You start off being nice and supportive and so on, but what happens if I do meet a "someone new" that just happens to be packing a Y chromosome and all its usual paraphernalia south of the border. Do you immediately ditch me and then go shower in bleach and cologne for fear you might catch "the straight" off me? How is that any different from Man Y immediately ditching Man X because Man X started dating Man Z rather than the socially expected woman? Oh yes, of course, reverse discrimination doesn't exist. That's why it's fine to loudly proclaim that you voted for so-and-so because they're gay, or that book A or film B is obviously far superior to all others, even if it isn't that well written, because it features a same-sex relationship rather than a heterosexual one. Here's a hint: if it would sound bad with the circumstances reversed ("Yeah, the other guy seemed cool what with his policies, but he was GAY! IMAGINE! So, of course, I had to vote for the other one. It was my role as an upstanding member of the straight community!") then it's bad.
On the one hand, I've had boyfriends, but on the other, so far the only person I could actually envision maybe being with long term in the future is female, so where does that leave me? I don't know. I had the same experiences most of you did growing up, watching TV with my mother and agreeing with her appreciative noises about David Duchovny, because of course that was totally who I was looking at, right, and then reminding myself that Mizz and Shout totally said it was OK to have crushes on women and that it was a normal part of growing up rather than any harbinger of the future. Quite honestly, I was TERRIFIED of the idea of growing up as anything but straight. I thought it would be the worst thing ever. When it came down to it, though, when I finally "came out" when I was 25 (while staying in Salt Lake City, no less - apparently San Francisco three days later was too far to wait) I felt SO. MUCH. BETTER. I say it was the culmination of about 7 years of "hmmm" followed by 5 years of "uh oh" and 3 years of "oh shit", and that's what it was, not some trendy thing I picked out on a whim. Interestingly though, ever since I did come out, my preference has shifted from "mostly guys but occasional women" to "mostly women and occasional guys." Maybe one day it might shift all the way over to the feted 6, but for now all it takes is for me to watch an episode of Lie To Me with lots of Tim Roth badass snark to remind me that "yep. Deeeeeefinitely still into the guys."
And you know what? Even if I did end up being exclusively homosexual, and thus worthy of your attentions, I still wouldn't have anything to do with you, because your attitude just plain pisses me off.
And let me tell you - you're missing out.
I have no words.
It's not so much a question of WHAT'S wrong with this post, it's HOW MANY THINGS are wrong with this post…
(credit to stfucouples)
…I kind of need some advice.
I have two possible options for what to do next year, and while at first I thought it was obvious which one I should go for, now I am not so sure.
The first is that I stay on and finish my graduate fine art degree, which until recently I had come to think was pointless and selfish given all the hideous things that happen every day. Lately, however, I've reread the autobiography of the artist Tracey Emin (it's called 'Strangeland', and I cannot recommend it enough) and she has channelled her experiences into her art in the most incredible way.
The second is that I start a graduate entry law degree, with the aim of one day running my own advice service/counselling/legal help one-stop-shop charity kind of thing. I applied for a job at Victim Support NI, and if I get that then the law one is the obvious choice, but otherwise I'm not sure.
On the one hand, I'm interested to see where the art thing goes, and my latest piece definitely got attention; but on the other, I have no idea where to go with my MFA, and art is the kind of thing where you don't need formal qualifications… so there's no reason I couldn't be a practicing artist at the same time as working in law. Then again, an art degree is as much about making contacts and getting experience than it is about the qualification, and there's no reason why I couldn't just keep doing my blog and campaign stuff outside of my art classes.
So, I don't know. Thoughts?
(And as a side note, the fact that I say 'this week' should probably give you some idea of what else I get the joy of experiencing every day.)
This, my beloved fellow activists, is the 'Gay Panic Defence', as used in US, Australian and UK law, for starters. It may be used in other jurisdictions too, but it's half past one in the morning and my impulsive wrath does not immediately stretch to spending a few hours with legal texts.
Are they kidding? Just because someone had the nerve to 'make a pass' at someone else - which, let's face it, given the oversensitivity of some people could be something as small as complimenting them on the colour of their shirt - does not in any way give anyone the right to kill them. Given that in the UK people have been successfully prosecuted for killing a person who was trying to rob them, it's like saying that being hit on by that guy you once met in a pub is a worse affront than being threatened into handing over your valuables. Maybe a sexual advance is now considered a more terrible weapon than a knife or a rock, I don't know, but it seems a bit weird to say the least.
Now, let's just make this clear - I'm not talking about people who defend themselves against rape or attempted assault. Anyone who knows me will know that. However, there is a huge difference between making an unsuccessful 'pass' on someone and forcibly molesting them. I wonder if by their logic I could have beat the guy outside the Hercules to death with my e-reader in retaliation for his comment of 'eeeeee, lovely tits, love' (rather than impulsively telling him I wanted to slit his throat and fuck the wound, which made him run away pretty damn fast, even if I was maybe even more shocked than he was about what I'd just said.) 'No, officers, it's OK! I had every right to murder this man because he complimented me on the beauty of my breasts. You see, I'm a bisexual having a lesbian day, and the horror of being propositioned by a member of the opposite sex scared me senseless for a few minutes!' I mean, come on. I have fucking PTSD and I've never murdered anyone, not even the creep in Boots who grabbed my admittedly fine ass when I was looking at disposable razors (because apparently they drive men mad with unrestrainable desire.) Just, no.
Here's a fun example from California, although this is technically the equally reprehensible 'trans panic' defense: Several men beat a pre-op transgender woman with shovels, a frying pan, a can of food and their fists, hog tied her, and strangled her to death, solely because they had voluntarily engaged in sexual activity with her before finding out she still had male genitalia. Halfway through the assault, they stopped to go and get shovels and a pickaxe, leaving her sitting on the couch. They then had the presence of mind to drive her body four hours away into the Sierra Nevada mountains to bury (which, to be honest, is enough of a hint that they knew what they were doing was wrong to completely discredit any insanity defence.) But, instead of being convicting them for a hate crime, the jury repeatedly deadlocked, and prosecutors eventually accepted a no contest plea to voluntary manslaughter for one of them. It reminds me a bit of the Reddit post I read a while ago which could be summed up as 'guys, I keep fantasising about chicks with dicks. Like, I'm not gay or anything, and they're not dudes, they're just chicks who have dicks. Is that sick? Does that make me gay?' That post got a mixture of comments that were maybe 10% criticism, 50% veiled homophobia, 20% outright bigotry, and 20% a mix of trolls and/or commenters who had nothing to say but either 'lol dude u r a fag'/'no ur not gay I fantasise about ______'. These guys were faced with this situation in real life, and they responded to this perceived threat to their status as Men with mindless violence.
One of the worst things about this for me is that it not only validates prejudice, it somehow implies that the victim somehow 'asked for it', and all it takes is one homophobic juror (which, given general attitudes, is sadly almost certain) for it to work. Wayne the builder is horrified by the idea that the fruit next door might fancy him, so what better way to show he's not a fag than to acquit the poor victim of a pervert's sexual advances? I can't see how it's any different from Southern trials in the 20th century excusing the murder of black people based upon half-formed allegations, except for the fact that it's impossible to tell who is and who isn't straight/gay/trans/whatever, which opens up a whole new ugly side of it. So, you had a fight with your best friend over some disrespectful transgression, hit him with a pan, and now he's dead. What to do? I know! Lie and say he grabbed your junk and winked at you! They can't prove otherwise, and there's a whole defence out there just MADE for you!
One example along these lines is the Joseph Mitchell Parsons case in 1987, although that had the added twist that he may have actually been the one who did the propositioning, and that he killed the victim in a fit of rage after his advances were unsuccessful. While the trial outcome was the right one, it still sticks in my throat a little that so much of the trial was based around proving the victim had never shown any signs of being anything but heterosexual, while casting aspersions on the sexuality of Parsons himself. I can't help wondering if that had anything to do with the jury deciding to convict (especially, forgive me the stereotype, given that the trial took place in Utah.) Did they convict because they saw the defence for what it was, or because they were disgusted at the idea of this homo pervert daring to slander the memory of this fine upstanding heterosexual citizen?
Yeah, so, I'm very tired now, so I'm going to stop, but I'll probably cover this more soon. Then again I say that a lot, and then I don't.
(And I was going to post a link to a great book about legal discrimination against members of the LGBT community, but my web browser is pitching a shit fit again and it keeps opening two dozen windows whenever I try to paste anything.)
(Incidentally, props to Wyoming for telling the defence lawyers where to go when they tried to use this defence in the trial of the killers of Matthew Shepard - a crime which the perpertrators themselves eventually admitted was a drug-fuelled robbery attempt gone wrong.)
" hey..i found your blog and was really interested and moved by the things you post. you sound so incredibly strong and i'm really envious. I was sexually abused from the ages of 4 until i was 11 by a close family friend who regularly looked after me and had access to me unsupervised. im struggling so much to deal with it now, getting overwhelmed by flashbacks and nightmares. the only way i know how to deal with this is to self destruct, because i feel so lost now. sorry to bombard you with this x "
That's OK, I don't mind hearing about it. One of the main reasons I started doing this was because I started writing on fanfiction (long story, brain injury and had to get brain going creatively again) and the number of people who contacted me and said "oh my God, this is so real, it's exactly how I felt/feel" and told me how cathartic they found it to read was just beyond anything I would ever have expected.
A lot of people feel they can talk to me because I'm so open about it myself, which is great, because I really want to try and make it seem less, I don't know, shameworthy, for want of a better word. If someone wouldn't be embarrassed to say that they were beaten up in the street or by their boyfriend, then they shouldn't need to feel embarrassed by having been raped or abused, because it's just another act of violence. Sometimes I really don't want to post about some of the stuff I've posted about, because I get really uncomfortable about admitting to some of it, but then I think "if I'm telling people that there's no reason to be ashamed and to feel able to talk about it, and that sexual offences shouldn't be considered to be something embarrassing and private and taboo to discuss, then who the hell am I to hold back on it?"
I know exactly what you're going through, and believe me when I say I am far from strong about it sometimes. I've gone down the self-destruction route (and still relapse into it more often than I'd like) with the eating disorder and the self-harm and the self-sabotage and so on, and I came to realise that a lot of it was actually about control and, in some cases, the act of demeaning myself even more. And, once I realised that, it helped me a bit, because it made me able to rationalise it a little more. It does take a lot of time though, but if you're strong and determined enough (which I think you must be, because you actually contacted me to share, which says a lot) you'll get there.
In the meantime, if you need to talk, or to ask for advice, or even if you've just had a nightmare or a shitty day, then send me a PM. There are a lot of crisis numbers and help groups out there, but if you don't feel able to contact them, or it doesn't work for you, then PM me, and I'm always around to talk. And I don't mind. Really. Bombard away.
Hang in there. It'll get easier. I promise.
Most of you who know me outside tumblr know that as well as being my usual badass self, I'm also a Catholic (albeit a damn cool, openly bisexual Catholic with incredibly liberal attitudes and an 'in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti' tattoo on my arm). Anyway, that's not important. What's important is this.
Today I was researching for an art piece (couldn't remember the name of one of the tablets I was given and wanted to see if I could find out.) So, I hit Google. And ended up turning this up.
In case you don't want such a website to show up on your browsing history, or just can't be arsed, here is a brief highlight:
"A good pro-life Christian would oppose the use of rape kits because they are now being used to encourage women getting an abortion, which is murder, as well as boycotting hospitals who provide these murdering kits."
Really? Because I don't think that's what they do. As far as I know, they're for collecting evidence in order to help nail the raping creep to the wall at trial. Yes, they offer the morning-after pill AT THE SAME TIME as the rape kit, but it's NOT THE SAME THING. And more to the point, they don't "encourage" you to do anything. There's an antibiotic shot, some oral antibiotics, and an emergency contraceptive, and they don't push any of them on you. It's always your choice, and it's a choice that every woman has the right to be offered.
Now, as you know, I am not a stranger to these things, and I have a little something to share which I haven't actually shared with anyone bar a couple of people before: when I was in NY in October, and got attacked, and they offered me the EC pill… I said no.
I took the STD prevention stuff, but I refused the EC, based purely on the fact that I would personally prefer not to take a drug which could stop an already-fertilised embryo from implanting, because for me, the second the bullet has left the gun (as it were) it's not my place to interfere. A lot of people might yell at me for that, but it's true, and I'm still pro-choice - I would never, EVER try and tell someone else what they should and should not do, and while I would never choose to get an abortion myself, I'm not going to scream hellfire upon anyone that does. Choice goes both ways - you have the right to choose to have an abortion, and the right to choose not to, without having to give an excuse for either decision, and that's exactly how it should be.
I'm just really sick of religion and regurgitated quotes being used to justify selfish, ignorant behaviour, and it's people like this guy who make me question whether there's really any point at all.
Luckily, though, most of the other users on the board seem to be ripping this guy apart already… which does give me some hope.
Well, I have an AMAZING update for you.
After much denial, eBay finally took those awful pictures off and banned the seller. Apparently spending a day on the phone being passed around various departments while quoting from the 1978 Protection of Children Act Chapter 37 is the way to make them sit up and take notice.
(That, and phoning the police department in the county eBay's servers are located in and citing precedents to prove to them that yes, it IS their problem…)
Anyway… SUCCESS.
the original post:
It got worse. This is a screengrab of the upper left corner of the page, showing part of the search bar.
Something has to be done about this. I'm sitting up surrounded by criminal law casebooks and notes, searching through the UK legislature. That seller's creep ass is mine.


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Well, a crazy week can have some high points, sometime that might be hard to discern. To add to the craziness of the weekend, I realized that I needed to pick up some essential groceries actually nuts to be specific. The daughter snacks on cashews which I was out of and the only spot that I can readily think of finding supplies is that Indian hub, near Lexington and the twenties. Now, that hub has always been about food, I have tried, Bhojan and Tiffinwalah were other food stops that I have eaten and talked about, well back to the stop, I felt I had to stop and eat and frankly there was no going back after stopping at Pongal. The food was so good, I have been dying to tell you all about it. In fact, if it was not for a crazy schedule I would have been back today.
So, my hook for my lunchtime companion was to tell him that we would be trying out Kosher Indian, well, the restaurant is Kosher and Indian, hence Kosher Indian. Pongal is about vegetarian food done right. They have an extensive regional menu but is essentially about good South Indian food. I could not resist starting out with the Kachoris. These delicately stuffed turnovers were crisp and fresh and served on banana leaves.
Next on I ordered the onion rava masala dosa. This was dosa done right, crisp and full of onion flavors. They had a couple of chutneys and a very flavorful sambhar to accompany the food, just for the dosa I shall be back.
They offer you assorted lunch specials that come in the form of regional thalis. My friend ordered the Gujarati thali, which was filling and comforting, a puri, two varieties of rice, lentils and a homestyle eggplant dish. He said the raita was amazing.
To finish off, we ordered the Kulfi and tea. They offer quite and assortment of teas, green black and masala chai. The tea was probably my only disappointment, it was not very flavorful. I shall however be back, will skip the tea but shall definitely make room for the rest.


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With a tightly contested Middlesex League Small School Division, every game the rest of the way is a big one for the Wilmington football team. Friday night was no exception, and the Wildcats stepped up to the occasion.
Entering the most recent action, Wilmington, Burlington, Watertown and Melrose were all tied for the second best record in the league .
Following Friday, things are a little clearer, but not much.
The Wildcats came back from a fourth quarter deficit to earn a 19-14 win over Melrose, improving the locals to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the league. Following the loss, Melrose is now 1-2 in league play and 6-2 overall.
gave Wilmington a 7-0 edge early on with a six-yard run in the first quarter, and then extended the advantage with a 40-yard run on a brisk night at Alumni Stadium.
But Melrose struck back with a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-13 lead that lasted until less than two minutes remaining in the game.
Quarterback Matt Ferreira led his team down the field one final time, however, as he scored from four yards out to jolt the hosts into the lead. The Wilmington defense help, and sealed the critical win in the final minutes.
Things don't get much easier for the Wildcats the rest of the way. Head coach Mike Barry's charges next play Watertown (6-2, 1-2) next week before closing league play with what could be a decisive game against Burlington (5-3, 2-1).
Wakefield remains the only unbeaten team in the Small School Division, with a 7-1 mark overall and a 3-0 Middlesex mark.


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Now this right here is some good stuff. Love her perspective as a researcher and a storyteller, both of which she seems to be incredibly gifted at being.
Brene's TED talk. Good stuff
Now this right here is some good stuff. Love her perspective as a researcher and a storyteller, both of which she seems to be incredibly gifted at being.
Brene's TED talk. Good stuff
—Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, in response to being asked about the one writer he could meet, dead or alive, during an interview for The New York Times Sunday Book Review.
Of all the people he could meet, I must admit that I'm rather surprised to see it is JC.
~Trent Gilliss, senior editor(via beingblog)
Need to find this bill moyers interview
From our senior editor trentgilliss:
"It will be a discipline before it becomes a pleasure."
This past month, I've been listening non-stop to Laura Mvula's album Sing to the Moon. She's an incredible singer who meshes hushed, contemplative lyrics with a verve and mastery that doesn't feel like artifice or overly produced. Even her poppier songs are clean and refreshing. She's her own woman, her own artist, who is comfortable in her own skin — for which I'm entirely thankful.
Brilliant on a Sunday night.
RIP Jim Ed Poole.
Our colleague the actor and sound-effects man Tom Keith died Sunday night of a heart attack at his home in St. Paul. He performed on the show October 22 at the Fitzgerald with the cast and guest John Lithgow — played a zombie and a beery Elizabethan bartender, did the sound effects for "Lives of the Cowboys" and "Mom" and did a wonderful and shocking sound effect of a grade-school teacher being shrunk from six feet to three inches, using a balloon, some small sticks, and vocal thwops and splorts, and then did the voice of a three-inch-tall female. He complained of shortness of breath the next week, but put off going to see a doctor, and collapsed Sunday night around 6 p.m. He was conscious afterward but died in the ambulance on his way to the hospital.
~reblogged by Trent Gilliss, senior editor
A Father Mourns His Lost Son
by Trent Gilliss, senior editor
Robert Peraza, who lost his son Robert David Peraza, pauses at his son's name at the North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial during the tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2011, in New York.
(photo: Justin Lane/AFP/Getty Images)
—New York State Senator Roy McDonald
The Republican politician said this statement to reporters about his decision to support same-sex marriage legislation. McDonald was the 31st senator to support the Marriage Equality Act. McDonald is a Vietnam veteran and former steelworker. As a politician, he's put his energy behind autism awareness and property tax cuts. Now he's being heralded as a champion for civil rights.
About the image: Roger Minch Jr. of Troy, New York, the district that Roy McDonald represents, demonstrates his support of same sex marriage outside the New York Senate Chamber on June 17, 2011 in Albany, New York. Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images)
~Nancy Rosenbaum, producer(via beingblog)
Tuesday Evening Melody: Philip Glass "The Play of the Wrathful and Peaceful Deities"
by Trent Gilliss, senior editor
There's no other composer quite like him. Philip Glass summons the inner strength — the power and majesty — and the vulnerable adult who is always a child inside. His music stirs something primal; he reminds of us of our vulnerability. His music compels us to remember how profound we all can be, even when we can't feel or say one remarkable word.
I've been moved by "Mad Rush" on several occasions, but I had no idea of the back story until now. It was originally written for the organ, which I encourage you to listen to, but the reason it was written is just as interesting. Glass tells the story this way:
"In 1979, most of us didn't really know very much about His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We weren't sure exactly when he would arrive, though there was a time specified. I was asked to compose a piece of somewhat indefinite length. Not actually a problem for me. I played in the organ; I've become very comfortable with this as a piano piece.
It eventually acquired the name "Mad Rush," which had nothing to do with its original purpose but… For those who are interested in the Tibetan iconography of Tibetan Buddhism, you might think of it as the play of the wrathful and peaceful deities."
You can watch Glass' performance of "Mad Rush" at the Garrison Institute on April 13, 2008 at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City.
(Hats off to findout for reminding me of this exquisite piece!)


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Survival Water Purification
Methods of disinfecting water during an emergency situation and in the wilderness.
Water, apart from shelter, can become the most immediate need in a survival situation. Depending on the level of activity, and ambient temperature, a person can live about 3 days without water. Prolonged activity without proper hydration coupled with malnutrition will quickly lower chances for survival.
The first problem is finding water, depending on the location this may prove more difficult than ensuring it's potability. However, for the scope of this article, we will assume that a source has already been located.
You do not want to wait until you are thirsty to begin gathering water, as the urge to drink directly from the contaminated source can become unbearable. Due to the negative effects of drinking water contaminated with Giardia and other bacteria/viruses, this is a bad idea. Becoming sick from drinking bad water, will further dehydrate you, worsening your situation.
Having some knowledge of the type of contaminants we could deal with is important. When choosing a ceramic filter it is a good idea to get information on the filter's micron rating:
Some contaminants and their size in microns:
|Giardia lamblia
|8 to 12 microns
|Cryptosporidium parvum
|4 to 6 microns
|Bacteria (salmonella - E.coli
|0.2 to 4 microns
|0.004 to 0.1 microns
Water carrying:
In the most ideal situation you will have a solid container to carry the water that you find (i.e. metal/plastic pot, water bottle, milk jug, canteen). However, other alternatives to consider are:
a plastic sheet, folded to form a bag
a condom, preferably with no spermicide, or lubricant, inside of a sock to prevent bursting the latex
Some canteens have a built-in screen to help block large particles. Heavier sediment will make it more difficult to purify the water from contaminants. Another good idea is to use anything from a coffee filter to a piece of cloth to pre-filter the water. This collapsible canteen from the military has a screen that will catch the larger particles.
Running water is usually best but if the water is from a still source try to find a place where the heavy sediment has settled.
Water filtration:
As long as the water has been purified properly, filtration is mostly to make the water more attractive. Since most of us aren't used to, drinking water with, leaves, algae, dirt, etcetera. So, at least a minimal amount of filtration is recommended. Since, while you can ingest/digest the aforementioned, most of us would prefer not to.
The simplest levels of filtration can be achieved by running the water through a cloth. The tighter the weave of the cloth the better it will filter water, as it will be able to capture smaller/finer particles. Just about any cloth will catch the "big" stuff. Folding the cloth to form multiple layers will help in this process.
If you are setting up a long term camp, you can set up a more intricate filtration system, that will not only filter particulates, but also improve taste.
Water purification:
Most water purification techniques are fairly simple. Below are the most common methods of purifying water.
Boiling is the simplest method of killing bacteria/viruses. The concept is, that the organism is destroyed by pushing the bacterium/virus past it's heat range. 100*C(212*F) will effectively kill most organisms, not just bacteria.
Assuming you can get a fire going, and have a metal container. After filtering as many of the particulates as possible. Fill your container with water, place over the fire, bring to a rapid boil, then allow to cool (drinking hot water can induce vomiting). Boiling will kill the harmful bacteria in the water, as they cannot withstand the temperature.
Advantage is that you are not adding any chemicals to your water, which takes out the guess work as far as dosage. The disadvantage, if it can even be called that, is that you have to have a source of heat(fire, stove, etc.) in order to bring the water to the boiling point.
Water purification through chemical treatment
Common chemicals used:
* Iodine
* tablets
* crystals
* tincture of iodine
* Sodium Chlorite / Chlorine Dioxide
* Potassium Permanganate
* Chlor-floc
Some parasites may not be killed using this method.
Purification capability can be reduced by several factors:
* Temperature of the water
* Clarity of water
* Tablet expiration date
Iodine Water treatment
Treating with iodine crystals
Iodine solutions kill bacteria by upsetting the ion balance within the cell, replacing chemicals that the bacteria needs to survive with iodide ions. Iodine can also be poisonous to humans, and can be especially harmful to young children, and pregnant women. You should be careful not to use too much iodine when purifying your water, and if at all possible avoid using it as a primary purification method for extended periods of time. If you find yourself in a survival situation, for an extended period of time, you should consider setting up a still, or boiling the water if possible.
Simply fill the provided container with water. Shake the container. Allow the filled container to stand for about an hour. This allows time for the water to become saturated with iodine. Add the iodine to your water container, adding the indicated amount of capfuls (it's about 1 capful to 1 quart). Shake the water container to ensure a proper mixture. Allow the container to sit 20-30 minutes. Afterwards the water is ready to drink.
Although we have carried the Polar Pure Water crystals in our packs on several hiking trips and the bottle provided is pretty rugged, the concern for a broken bottle is always in the back of our mind. As a counter point you are carrying an almost endless supply of iodine to treat water makes it a strong option.
Iodine tastes just like it smells, fortunately, this is a pretty weak solution, so the taste is not overpowering; it is only slightly worse than city water. The advantages of iodine crystals, is that, one container can treat somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 gallons. As well as the fact that, it prepares the water relatively fast. The disadvantage is, as mentioned above, that it is harmful in the long term.
Note: Using this method on water from a running stream, proved to have no ill effects on my digestive system.
Treating with iodine tablets
Very common and inexpensive solution. Iodine tablets are easy to use and find.
Sodium Chlorite / Chlorine Dioxide tablets
These tablets essentially use chlorination as their method of purification. Sodium chlorite generate chlorine dioxide giving it the ability to treat water. Chlorination, as most know, is a common method of disinfecting water, and is commonly used by municipalities world-wide for this purpose. Chlorine destroys bacteria by destroying the cell walls of the bacterium/virus, killing the organism. Fortunately, when we drink chlorinated water, our digestive system quickly neutralizes the chlorine. So chlorine concentrations along the gastrointestinal tract are, in all likelihood, too low to cause damage. The tablets are wrapped in a metallic foil which makes it easy to store and there are no concerns of a glass bottle breaking. This is one of our favorite items to carry as a backup to our water filtration system.
Add one of these tablets to a quart of water. Allow it to sit for approximately 4 hours. Personally, I feel that shaking the container once or twice helps dissolve the tablet more quickly, and improve distribution of the tablet.
Water treated in this manner has a slight bleach/chlorine taste, which is less potent than your average city water. The advantage of these pills is their simplicity; add the tab, and let sit. The disadvantage is that you will be waiting for a while before you can drink it.
Note: Using this method on water from a running stream, proved to have no ill effects on my digestive system.
Potassium Permanganate - ( Condy's Crystals or KMNO4 ) can be purchased at hardware stores. Sold as a water softener. Can be purchased in both powder and pill form (permitabs). This chemical compound has many uses from fire starting to water purification. Just a few crystals can treat a quart of water.
( aproximately 0.01% solution) 1 gram per liter (3 - 4 crystals)
Chlor-Floc Tablets
Although we purchased Chlor-Floc tablets, we decided not to test the tablets. There are multiple sources that evaluate the efficacy of Chlor-Floc tablets.
"Experiments examining the effectiveness of CHLOR-FLOC's disinfection component for viability of CryptosBoridium oocysts showed that the disinfectant had very minimal capabilities to kill the encyst,.d organisms over the 20-minute contact time." Source: dtic.mil
"The overall study results revealed that the CHLOR-FLOC system was not adequate to physically remove, or to provide adequate chemical disinfection of, Cryptosporidium oocysts to the required level of 99.9 percent reduction. Water, Purification, CHLOR-FLOC tablets, Micro-organisms, Cryptosporidium, Klebseilla, Echovirus, Latex beads, Protozoan cysts, Bacteria, Disinfection, Coagulation." Source: oai.dtic.mil
Micro-filtration/Water Filters
Micro-filters such as the MSR Miniworks pictured below remove contaminants from the water using a ceramic filter. By passing the fluid through the microporous membrane with pore sizes smaller than the contaminant we effectively remove pathogens. The MSR miniworks contains a carbon core to remove unpleasant tastes. The filters base is designed to screw onto a standard sized Nalgene bottle.
Survival Filter Straws
There are several manufacturers of survival straws or emergency water filter systems. Examples include Aquamira Frontier and LifeStraw® Water Filter
LifeStraw® Water Filter for emergency survival and backpacking
Veestergard's Specs:
Weight: 2 ounces (56 grams)
Length: 9 inches (22.5 centimeters)
Diameter: 1 inch (2.5 centimeters)
Purifies a minimum of 1000 litres (264 gallons) of water
Removes virtually all bacteria (99.9999 percent) and protozoan parasites (99.9 percent) that can contaminate water, including giardia
Information from Aquamira: "One unit will filter up to 20 gallons (75L) of water. Tests indicate that the Frontier Filter will remove 99.9% of Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The Frontier Emergency Water Filter System is also easy to operate, just attach and expand the straw, submerge the filter end into the water source, and drink through the straw."
Article on the Lifestraw water filter: LifeStraw
Please see our Solar Still article.
Click title or picture for full article.
Other chemicals can be used in case of an emergency such as:
Iodine tincture - Around eight drops per liter or about thirty per gallon
EPA suggestions: You can use tincture of iodine to disinfect filtered and settled water.
Common household iodine from the medicine chest or first aid kit may be used to disinfect water. Add five drops of 2 percent U.S. or your country's approved Pharmacopeia tincture of iodine to each quart or liter of clear water. For cloudy water add ten drops and let the solution stand for at least 30 minutes.
Bleach - Two drops of bleach per quart 1/8 teaspoon (or eight drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water
Hydrogen peroxide - (untested) During research we found recommended thirty-five to fifty percent concentration being used.
Less common methods used in an emergency are covered in the article below:
Click title or picture for full article.
Transpiration / Perspiration / Vegetation Bags
Click title or picture for full article.
Click title or picture for full article.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
MichaelBerean said...
@Tafuub: I disagree as to where these female avatars come from. I would say they are clear adaptations from manga, anime or Japanese-flavored console-style RPG's.
They have most of the classic themes represented in WoW: fox-girl (Worgen), cow-girl (tauren), green demons (short or tall), blue demons, tall and willowy with blue/purple hair (Night Elves), beautiful and gender-ambiguous (blood elves), rounded matron/mother (dwarves), child-like and spunky (gnomes). Perhaps the Forsaken could fill the role of the pale vampire-girl. You might even say they included cat-girls with the Draenei, due to their cat-like ears and tail. If you consider that outfits and spell effects temporarily grant an angelic appearance to humans you could say that all of the (typically Japanese) manga female archetypes are represented in WoW now.