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When I was a girl my family travelled to Victor, Idaho where our grandpa lived (the one with high walls of snow on either side of his walk). We loved to play in the deep snow and spent hours outside in it until our fingers and toes were too numb to feel anymore.
At home we often made "forts" out of large snowballs. While other homes sported snowmen, we had walled barricades. But at grandpa's the snow was deep enough that we only had to dig downward. We dug circles in his backyard, each of us with our own. From these we held snowball fights, popping up out of our holes like a whack-a-mole game to fire off a missile.
Along a back road we found the snow had drifted up against someone's shed / garage high enough that we could mount it like climbing a small hill to the roof. From there we jumped into the deep snow below. When we tired of that, we tunneled into the drift along the wall of the shed. My sister, Terry, and I created a tunnel we both crawled into with room to spare.
Our dad told us of the year, when after a mighty storm, the snow had drifted so deep that he had to tunnel out of his front door then shovel down from the roof of his house. One time he built an igloo in his front yard and even built a fire in it. He wouldn't let us try to repeat that experience though.
But he did offer an alternative. We loaded into our station wagon and strapped the sleds on top. Then we drove to a country road that made a perfect sledding hill. We loaded up the long wooden sled with metal runners and a cross bar for steering, fitting up to four of us on it for a single trip, then flew down the road. The snow would kick up and spray us in the face, and we'd grip each other's boots to keep them from dragging. If the weight was sufficient we might make it around the bend. If we didn't topple over before that. Sometimes one of us would get the short sled; then on our belly we'd swoosh down the hill head-on.
After our sledding time, my dad decided to try something new: He took a long rope and attached it to the handles of the sled and the other end to the frame at the back of the car. Then he gave some of us rides that way.
It is not something I ever tried to repeat, for a thousand reasons, most of them summed up in "because it is dangerous," but we had a blast!
In those days, we didn't wear bike helmets, seat belts, or put babies in car seats. We climbed trees until the branches swayed, my brothers hookey-bobbed on the back of cars, and I picked apricots from the top step of an old wooden, wobbly ladder. All in all, I prefer the safety measures society has moved toward, but sometimes I just want to jump in the back of a pick-up and go for a ride. Or at least flip cookies in a snow-packed parking lot. Station wagons work great.


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Nearly 40 years ago, fiber optic cable was made and installed, and it is still used today. Newer cables now being made are of even better quality. Compared to traditional copper wiring (commonly found in homes), fiber optic cables offer much higher data rates and are capable of reaching longer distances. This flexible and durable fiber is most commonly used to transmit light for a wide range of applications like visible light displays, sensors, and high-speed communications networks, which will be discuss in this article.
Fiber Optic Cables for High-Speed Applications
Although fiber optic cable is made of hair-thin glass or plastic to a desired length and diameter, inch for inch it's stronger and steal and more durable than copper. For more detailed information about fiber vs copper, you can see a blog entitled "Why is the fiber optic technology better than copper?". What's more, there is no theoretical lifetime for optical fiber. And other key features of optical fiber are its electrical insulative properties, cost effectiveness, and improved security of the information being transmitted.
In terms of fiber optic cable construction, optical fibers have a transparent core which is surrounded by a transparent cladding material with a lower index of refraction, which helps to keep light in the core see in the above picture. Due to some leakage of light over a distance, attenuation is a result of the decrease in intensity of the light beam as it travels through the optical fiber. Attenuation is the most important limiting factor in the transmission of light signals (especially over long distances), although dispersion of the light is another factor that affects performance.
Single Mode and Multimode Fiber Optic Cables
Over the years, significant research and development has been invested into improving the general performance of fiber. Most are continuously improved upon to further minimize attenuation/loss and dispersion over longer distances and there are many subsets that apply to very specific network and performance standards. However, the two primary categories are single mode and multimode optical fibers.
Single mode fiber patch cables have a smaller diameter core (9µm) that only allows for one mode of light to propagate. As a result, the amount of light leakage decreases and minimizes the attenuation, allowing the signal to travel longer distances. Typically, single mode fiber is used for distances beyond several hundred meters by telecom and CATV service providers, government agencies, and major enterprises and universities with large campuses and networks.
Multimode optical fibers have a larger diameter core (50µm or 62.5µm) than single mode fibers, which allows for the propagation of multiple modes of light. The amount of light that passes through the core is increased, thus enabling a higher amoutn of information to pass through at any one time. Because of the higher rates of dispersion and attenuation, the signal quality is significantly reduced over longer distances, so multimode fibers are typically deployed for short distance applications within data centers, Local Area Networks (LAN) and other similar networks. Similar to single mode and other communication fibers, subsets of mutimode fiber types exist on the basis of construction/makeup (step-index, graded-index, etc) and for varying bandwidth rates over specific distances (OM2, OM3, OM4).
FS.COM Fiber Optics
Besides the single mode and multimode fiber optic cables, there are many standard and specialty for fiber optic cables existed for use within communications networks. For high-speed networking services, fiber optic network offers much higher internet speed and supports longer transmission distance, which makes it the clear choice for what's now and what's next.
FS.COM has been providing custom lengths of optical fiber to all of our customers for network simulation, latency, and system demonstration applications. All of our high-quality fiber cable assemblies such as Patch Cords, Pigtails, MCPs, Breakout Cables are ordered at lower price. Additionally, fiber optic cables are also divided by different connectors like LC to LC patch cord, ST-LC patch cord, SC to LC patch cable and so on. If you have any interest of our products, you can contact our experienced team for a free consultation.

subset: commoncrawl


text: I had to include this cute shot of Huntleigh with her new friend Mallory from our play date last week-ish. October kind of runs together for me. I think I'm glad we've moved into November. Mallory's younger brother Hampton is the same age as Lucy...well, they're two days apart. It's sweet to see them interact, as well, but there wasn't a great picture of them, so I'll get to work on that.


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The Salt of the Earth
Perhaps one of the most important seasonings
in the kitchen is salt.
Salt is a mineral and is essential to animal life
as it helps to regulate the water content,
or fluid balance, of the body.
Salt is also significant in culinary history,
as it was once the primary way to preserve fresh foods.
Salt was used to draw moisture out
of meats and other foodstuffs,
so that the foods could be kept without refrigeration
for a long period of time.
In ancient times a Roman soldier was paid a 'salary'
so he could buy his weekly ration of salt.
You've got it: 'salary' is Latin for salt.
As late as the Victorian times,
an obvious sign of wealth was for a saltcellar
to be present on the dinner table.
And the fancier the better.
All salt on earth once came from the seas,
no matter how ancient
and no matter where those beds are now found.
Different types of salt found in the kitchen:
Kosher salt
Rock salt
Iodized table salt (ptooey!)
French Grey sea salt
Himalayan pink salt
Mediterranean sea salt
Extra course sea salt
On the top left: Iodized table salt.
This salt should only be on the table.
And even that is questionable.
Never use this salt in cooking.
Middle left: Course sea salt.
This is the salt that should be
on the table in a grinder.
This salt has more flavor and you will find
that you need less of it.
End of discussion.
Bottom left: kosher salt.
This is your standard cooking salt,
except if you are frying eggs.
Never try to substitute table salt
for kosher salt as the grains are different sizes
and the saltiness will differ.
Kosher salt is not a table salt.
And now for a very important cooking tip:
when cooking something like potatoes or pasta
(and yes, that includes noodles),
always! salt the water. Add about a tablespoon
of KOSHER salt to the water.
Remember, if you are draining the water,
most of the salt will go down the drain.
But some of that salt will be absorbed into the
potatoes or pasta.
And that is a very good thing.
Because no amount of salt later can ever
redeem the dish.
In the end you will find that you will have
added less salt to the dish.
And it will taste better.
It's a win-win.
Center top: ground sea salt.
This is the other cooking salt.
Use this when you need a finer cooking salt.
Center bottom: French grey sea salt.
This is strictly a finishing salt.
Treat this like gold.
This is a good salt for homemade croutons
or a salted caramel.
Right top: rock salt.
This is the salt you would use
for old-fashioned ice cream makers.
You can also use it to salt your driveways and walks
in the winter.
Don't eat it.
Right bottom: Himalayan pink salt.
This also is a finishing salt.
Bring this out when you want to impress your guests.
Pass around the grater and let each guest grate a bit
of the cube of salt over their food.
If you like them enough, that is.
And if you forget everything else,
remember this:
you do not salt food to make it taste salty,
you salt food to bring out the flavors of the food.
remember this:
you do not salt food to make it taste salty,
you salt food to bring out the flavors of the food.


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6 Frequent Cosmetic Dental Treatments Defined
Cosmetic dentistry assists many people catch a convinced smile, and also corrects many dental anomalies. Six of the most familiar cosmetic dental ways are:
1. Dental bonding: This is accepted out to fill gaps in the teeth and cover stains and chips. The development entails the application of a composite resin things to the tooth. The material, which is existing in quite a few shades, is sculpted to conceal the much loved area. It is then dried with a high-intensity light or a substance. The procedure does not origin any distress to the serene except when a negligible tooth roughening is done. Dental bonding does not necessitate more than one visit to the dentist and is comparatively low-cost as in comparison to other dental restoration techniques.
2. Tooth contouring and reshaping: This quick, cheap, and non-enveloping system is used to fix dental issues such as overlaps, shallow pits and grooves in the enamel, dilapidated sides, and chipped teeth. The dentist uses a sharpening instrument for the removal of a little amount of enamel and the tooth is reformed. The enamel deletion process is voted for out only after dentists authenticate through x-rays that the teeth requiring reshaping are strong enough to bear up some enamel loss. The procedure is completed with the smoothing and sharpening of the sides of the newly contoured tooth. The method usually needs a follow-up visit after the first visit.
3. Mouth guards and night guards: These are plastic home equipment that offer safety to the mouth through sports and also even as sleeping. Mouth guards dissolve shock triggered by violent call and therefore keep the head and neck. They are organized by means of a cast of the teeth. The mouth guards can be reserve, mouth-formed, or custom-made. Night guards avoid bruxing among teeth during sleep. They are model for people with dog-eared teeth, those who experience aches in the maw, and people with teeth that are susceptible to cold.
4. Halitosis or bad breath: The breakdown of food particles by the bacteria present under plate, in the crevices on the tongue, and sandwiched between teeth leads to the age band of explosive sulfur compounds (VSC) that cause bad breath. Periodontal sickness is also a cause of halitosis. Dentists decide the amount of VSC being created by using a halimeter. conduct generally entails following a approved oral hygiene routine that may contain the use of irrigators, fake dribble, tongue scrapers, etc.
5. Tooth whitening: This dealing is of use for elliminating stains that appear due to the burning up to tea, coffee, cigarettes, and wine. Whitening is agreed out using bleaching gel, which is frequently hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. The gel breaks down releasing oxygen molecules that penetrate the enamel and dentin and fall to pieces the stains. The time mandatory for results to come into view depends upon the cause of the stain and varies from a few hours to a few weeks.
6. Crowns and bridges: Teeth that need patch up after an calamity or too much decay can be handled by via a crown, which is an reproduction substitution for the upper part of the tooth. A bridge involves introduction an rotate tooth that is under arrest in place via two crowns that are bonded on adjacent teeth.
For more information visit


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The first half of 2011 will probably be more challenging than the second half because the effects of the Cardinal Climax are still very much in play in your life. Everything in your life that is not working for you will be shaken up and you will get the chance to start anew.
Career and Money
You like stability in your career and your finances, but 2011 is not going to give you that luxury. You will not be lacking in opportunities, but you may find that the opportunities are not what you had hoped they would be. You need to learn how to get reality in line with your expectations. Overestimating your situation may plague you in the first half of the year. You want to be confident and optimistic, but try not to exaggerate anything.
This is a time where you may find it necessary to start over in your career direction. Your lifestyle may change which could be very positive. Your challenge is to find work that matches your talents and interests. Keep in mind that you are in the process of starting a new stage in your life and it may take a couple of years to sort it out. You may make a career decision that you have a few doubts about, but it may turn out to be a very good career choice. If at first you don't like it, then try something else. You may have to do this a few times, but eventually you will get where you want to be. Try not to allow yourself to get too frustrated. Keep on persevering. Enjoy the journey rather than the destination.
With Saturn in your 4th house all year, this is going to mean you are feeling insecure about money and finance. Many of you may be feeling the pinch especially if you have had to move or downsize. You may have to take on more responsibilities with your family. Someone may need more of your help, your time, your energy or your money. It could be your children, your spouse, your partner or your extended family.
Some of you may find you lose your job, or you suddenly find a different job or that you move into a completely different field. Be ready to retrain in a different area. Be prepared for work to be erratic. Things will come and go. It will not be predictable. There could be some good opportunities but you will have to be quick off the mark. Don't procrastinate too much.
Money will be erratic this year, at least for the first half of the year. There may be times when it comes in large amounts, but then there will be times when there may be very little. Make sure you are frugal and careful with your money when you have it. Don't assume that money will be there for all your wants. As long as your needs are taken care of, that should be your priority. After the middle of June, your income may be more stable, and you will be able to make some bigger purchases if you want. Your friends and relatives may be helpful to you.
If you are in a relationship you may find that your mate has issues with money. You may find that you have to look after them financially. This would not be a good time to get into a business partnership. Take care that any assets you have are protected properly. If you are in a joint venture, make sure you have all your contracts and agreements clearly delineated and organised.
It could be a time for a move or a relocation of your job. This will be a jolt to your personal security but also holds the seeds of new beginnings and opportunities. Don't be averse to moving out of state or to another country if the job or business opportunities look greater than where you are.
This is an area which will undergo huge changes this year. You want other people to be in tune with your needs, but you need to ensure you are in tune with their needs as well. For some of you it will mean some endings in your relationships. For others it will mean a total reevaluation of how you are in a relationship. Are you being too giving in a relationship? Is there a relationship in your life that really needs to end now? Are you around manipulative, controlling people? Does the form of a relationship need to change? Maybe you are in a friendship that could develop into an intimate relationship? Maybe you are in a relationship that should become a friendship? Something drastically will change in the way you view your relationships.
Some of you may find that you are alone. You may need that space in order to reevaluate your relationships. You may find that people come in and out of your life. You may have a heart wrenching relationship that goes to the soul level. You may need help with it as it may become an obsessive relationship where you cannot get this person out of your head. On the other hand it could be such a deep relationship in which you feel as though you are dying and being reborn.
If you have learned how to stick up for yourself and to be really strong in your relationships then you will feel greatly empowered and you will draw a completely different kind of person into your life. Someone who will be more nourishing and who will encourage you to be the best you can be.
If you are unattached, you may meet many interesting and attractive people this year. You will have charisma and magnetism, but the people you draw to you may only stay in your life for a short while. Make sure you don't open your heart up too quickly, try to go slowly and see if this person can fulfill your emotional needs before you open up.
If you are already in a committed partnership and want to stay in the relationship, make sure you pay attention to your partner's emotional needs and balance it with your own needs. Communication will be key – ensure that you talk as much as possible.
Your friends, pets and children will be a source of great comfort to you. They will be the ones to listen to you and give you sound advice about your love life.
From July to September when Venus and Mars are in your sign will be a great time for you to meet someone new for either a romance or a friendship. If you are looking for a relationship make sure you get out and about socially during these months.
With so much instability in your life you will need to learn how to deal with stress. You need to make time to relax and to have peaceful moments alone. Try to create a regular exercise routine – even if it's only a regular walk every day, it will help with your stress levels. When you become over-emotional you put stress on your heart and on your digestive system. Avoid excesses in food and drink and take time out to meditate. There is no reason why you should have any physical issues this year. Keep in mind that it is your mental and emotional state which will dictate your level of health this year.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Cancer 2011 Horoscope Forecast
Posted by Barbara Goldsmith at 7:15 PM
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Free Singing Lessons In Bradford.
Garry is a professional vocal coach from Bradford, West Yorkshire. He teaches from his studio in Bradford and will also travel to Halifax, Leeds, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Dewsbury and other surrounding locations. He has had over 15 years experience in bands and solo projects and can also teach online using Skype. Garry has full DBS status to teach children through to adults. Garry has ample parking for students when they come to his.
Garry will teach any age group and specializes in beginners and best of all offers a FREE taster Lesson.
To book a singing lesson with Garry email him at firstname.lastname@example.com or visit his web profile at www.MySingingLessons.co.uk/Garry


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Are you looking for a Roofer In Niceville that you Niceville Slate Roofing can afford? CALL 850-344-1629.
Niceville Roofing Contractor - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVh7pQhN7cb3Q86Y97XXBqQ offers the best Niceville roof repair and new roof installation services obtainable for Niceville.
Niceville Roof Repair offers the very best Niceville FL Roofing Contractor In Niceville as well as brand-new roof installation services available for Niceville, Florida.
With great Rubber Roofing Company Niceville certainty, some of the finest homes in Okaloosa County are located in Niceville.
In the past 20 years to be specific, Roofer In Niceville have acquired a great number of roof repair requests because of storm damages from wind which have impacted many roofs in the greater Niceville area.
Best Niceville Roofing Contractor is completely insured for both liability and workmans compensation. Most importantly, Roof Contractor Niceville is completely focused on our customers. At the conclusion of each project, we conduct a Customer Satisfaction Check-Up which gives Roofer In Niceville the ability to ensure that our customers are completely pleased with our craftsmanship.
Roof Repairs in Niceville sincerely thinks that roofing is both a craft as well as an art. Each and every one of Best Niceville Roof Repair are finished to optimum standards.
Many roofing contractors are heavily focused on generating a profit by finishing roofing projects as rapidly as possible . Here at Best Niceville Roof Repair , our primary emphasis is dependability and a higher level of craftsmanship . Roof Contractor in Niceville by no means compromises the Quality Roof Niceville standard of a roofing project by cutting corners or the use of materials that are not the best quality.
A Roofing Contractor In Niceville crew is not compensated by how rapidly than complete a project. A Niceville Roof Repair Company crew is compensated after the task has been completely inspected and signed-off on as perfect. For the safety of all of Niceville Roofing Contractor customers, Best Niceville Roof Repair always strictly applies all materials according to the manufacturers standards.
The cutting edge roofing products Niceville Roof Repair utilize include Owens - Corning and GAF plus many others.
At Roofing Contractor In Niceville, we are passionate about the installation of high quality, superbly constructed, strong, and very beautiful roofs.
Roof Repair In Niceville installs New Roof Systems, Copper Roof Systems, Metal Roof Systems, Shingle Roof Systems, Flat Roof Systems, Clay Tile Roof Systems, Slate Roof Systems, Barrel Tile Roof Systems, Composite Roof Systems, Interlock Roof Systems, and Steel Roof Systems.
Your leaking roof has been repaired by someone. However, why does water still drip down your walls? More than 60% of the roofing repair work that Best Niceville Roof Repair performs in Okaloosa County is produced when Niceville Roof Repair Services repair the substandard work that our rivals have previously offered to our customers. Do not make the common and very costly blunder when you hire a non-professional roofing contractor that is centered solely upon cost. A decision that is based solely on pricing can cost far more money and heart ache in the long run.
Does your roof suffer from tree damage, storm damage, water leakage, or simply falling apart? Your home will be the largest investment you probably will make in your lifetime. Regular maintenance of your roofing will help guarantee that your residence will continue to remain in top condition.
Roofer In Niceville specializes in lots of difficult, hard to mend roof systems that lots of competing roofing contractors will not tackle.
In Okaloosa County Florida, Niceville Roofer service areas include Niceville, Destin, Crestview, Fort Walton, Wright, and all of Okaloosa County Florida. Niceville Roof Repair Service also services the unincorporated communities within our primary Okaloosa County roofing repair service area.
Contact Niceville Roofing Contractor today at 850-344-1629. We are here to serve you.
National Roofing Contractors - http://www.nrca.net/
The Mississippi Gulf Coast overlooks the beautiful Gulf of Mexico along 62 miles of sugar-white sand beaches. Real estate for those looking to purchase a home is commonly found in Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Diamondhead, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, D'Iberville, Gautier, Pascagoula, and Moss Point. These communities are located in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties. A bit further north is Stone County where Wiggins, McHenry and Perkinston are located.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Roofer In Niceville
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RD Management has signed the contract to provide pre-commissioning consulting services at Comcity. Upon completion, RD Management Services will undertake full day-to-day property management of the project developed by PPF Real Estate Russia.
Comcity will be one of the largest projects in New Moscow. PPF Russia is developing the 45 hectare site 2 km outside the MKAD on the Kievskii Highway. The Class A project consists of 12 buildings, two levels of parking and a total area of 432 000 sq m. Telecommunications company Rostelecom is the anchor tenant of the first phase. The first phase will be completed in January 2014 with the entire project scheduled for completion in 2016.
Initially RD Management Services (RDMS) performs technical consulting. Upon completion RDMS will perform complex facility management including technical maintenance, parking management, reception services and cleaning. The standards of Comcity fully match international Class A standards in design, engineering systems, infrastructure, amenities and landscaping.
Tomas Lastovska, Director of Development, PPF Real Estate Russia commented, Comcity is our flagship office project in Moscow, matching, and in many aspects exceeding. the high international standards of our office projects in other markets. We are very pleased to have chosen RD Management as our FM partner at Comcity, confident that in RD Management we have a high quality company that understands the cost effective preservation of international Class A standards.
Armen Sarukhanyan, General Director of RD Management stated, We are proud to have won this tender between the best companies in the market. Victory in such a tender is the most objective confirmation of our adherence to international Class A standards. We plan to reinforce the image of Comcity as the best office complex in New Moscow. We will apply our experience in managing of properties to international standard in order to make the tenants, owner and visitors happy.
RD Management Services completes 2013 with a portfolio of primarily Class A projects totaling more than 800,000 sqm. It includes landmark real estate projects as: business center Romanov Dvor, MonArch, business centre Udaltsova Plaza, the business park Olympia park, Evolution Tower in Moscow City, business center Leninsky Prospect, 119, Hotel & Business Center Park Pobedy, Shopping Center Dream House, Azovski Shopping Center.
Business Center
more info
Retail Center


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Maximize Your Wardrobe
I really like the fact that maxi skirts are so prevalent this season. So many times pants are just not what I want to wear to work, and shorts are not an option for me – at work anyway! I've seen so many great maxi skirts it's been very hard not to buy several, but I'm trying to take my own advice and "shop my closet" – thus today's outfit.
I bought this skirt about 2 years ago and honestly haven't worn it much. I had this crazy notion that maxi skirts weren't "work appropriate" for me, but now I'm seeing them all over my office so I figured what the heck? I'm now glad I have maxi skirts I can add to my rotation!
Do you wear maxi skirts? If so, do you wear them to work? I'd love to hear from you!
Today's outfit:
Merona gold vneck t-shirt: Target
Mossimo maxi skirt: Target
B.O.C. gold sandals: DSW
Brown belt: Ross


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I took this when I was about nineteen. Yikes. And the dirty mirror worked perfectly in this instance. I like to think that I look like some kind of crazy mermaid.
Rex and me when we were dating. Look at how long my hair is too! And yes, I totally had a poster of baby pigs on my wall. Don't be jealous.
On our honeymoon in Pismo Beach. We were getting ready to go to this awesome seafood restaurant and Rex snapped a picture of me being goofy.
On a trip to Mammoth after we were married. Look at how damn skinny I am!!! I wish my arms were that thin right now. And that I still fit into those size 3 jeans. ::sigh::
Rex and I at the UCLA vs Oregon game two years ago. I got Rex to go even though he is a diehard USC fan. Boo Trojans, Go Bruins!!!
And so there you have it, a little glimpse into my life before the Bug. Sometimes I miss it, but then I look at her laughing up at me, squinting her eyes as she smiles (just like her mama) and I know I wouldn't change a thing.


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Roissy's post on Girls and Politics got me thinking. As someone whose political leanings fall outside of the DC mainstream, this is something I deal with on a regular basis. It also got me thinking about something else I've been noticing. On a recent trip to Whole Foods (which, by the way, is always good for observing multiple incidences of SWPL) I observed a new phenomenon. I saw multiple couples where at first I thought there was huge mismatch in favor of the girl (i.e. the guy was better looking). In all instances I soon realized that there was something evening up the score: the guys were total morons. Granted, that's a tough diagnosis to make from a few moments observation in a supermarket; but when one guy is wearing a crooked baseball cap and making awkward, gang-ish hand signs and another is goofily grinning at some checkout-aisle tabloid, they just might not be the sharpest tools in the shed. Not to mention, the women in both cases did not seem to be the slightest bit amused. They honestly looked like mothers dealing with annoying children.
I've heard a lot from women recently about using certain political or ideological litmus tests for men they hook up with or date. This seems a strange idea to me. Personally, I hate echo chambers; nothing irks me more than being surrounded by people who think exactly what I think. I like debate. I like to hear other people's viewpoints. I like my own opinions to be challenged, because I realize that's the only way to know whether I'm full of shit or not.
Where does idea of not dating guys who don't share your politics come from? More importantly it seems a recipe for guys developing attachment to ideas they don't really care about because it's getting them laid. I tend to think that, in a democracy, the route that people take to come to their opinions is as important as those opinions themselves. Am I alone in this?
Almost every girl I know or meet claims that she wants a man of above-average intelligence, which just doesn't jive with this desire to have someone who agrees with you on everything, or on everything you think is important. Incredibly intelligent people tend not to just go along to get along. There's a choice to be made. And it seems that plenty of women are choosing agreeable over intelligent. Bringing this back to Whole Foods: is it possible that women in DC are starting to look for 'mimbos'?
Being a Democrat or a Republican says very little about how open minded or intelligent you are. In fact, if you think it does, there's a good chance that you are neither.


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For nearly a decade, Marina Litvinenko has been trying to conclusively prove who killed her husband - and why.
His death was like something out of a spy thriller. Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-KGB officer, was poisoned in 2006 after drinking a cup of tea laced with a radioactive substance. As he lay dying in a hospital in London, Litvinenko accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder. His killing attracted global attention.
On Thursday night, a major British inquiry concluded that Putin "probably" ordered her husband's death.
Getting there was a long, arduous journey, with Marina Litvinenko fighting tirelessly. At one point, she took the British Government to court.
Two years ago, she won a legal battle in the high court after she challenged British Home Secretary Theresa May's refusal to hold a public inquiry. May had cited "international relations" as one factor in the decision not to go forward.
Launching the challenge was financially risky. If Litvinenko lost, she would have had to pay for the Government's legal fees.
"She literally had to put her house on the line. Not to pay her own lawyers - we were acting pro-bono - but to pay the Government's lawyers if she lost. Luckily we won," said her lawyer, Ben Emmerson.
He said she was a "remarkable woman" who had made it clear from the very beginning that she would not be able to get on with her life until she had found the truth about her husband's death.
Marina's son Anatoly, who lost his father when he was 12, recently told the BBC, "I don't think many people would be able to do what she's done."
Robert Owen, a former high court judge who led the inquiry, wrote in the inquiry report that it was because of the dogged efforts of Marina Litvinenko that the public inquiry was held at all.
She "has demonstrated a quiet determination to establish the true facts of her husband's death that is greatly to be commended", Owen wrote.
Marina Litvinenko, a former dancer from Moscow, met Litvinenko in 1993 when he was investigating a case that involved her friends. The following year, they had a son and were married. They would later claim asylum in Britain, where Alexander Litvinenko was an outspoken critic of the Kremlin.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Marina Litvinenko called on the British Government to expel Russian intelligence officers and to impose sanctions and travel bans on specific individuals, including Putin.
So far, Government officials have announced they have seized the assets of the chief suspects in the case, Andrei Lugovoi and Dimitry Kovtun - a gesture some commentators have said was largely symbolic.
Emmerson said Marina Litvinenko was "unsatisfied" with the British Government's initial response, but added they were still waiting to see what further actions will be taken.
He has acknowledged that there is little chance of Lugovoi and Kovtun standing trial in Britain before "the final fall" of Putin, but said that they would continue to press for a strong response.
British Prime Minister David Cameron would be "craven" if he failed to act following "an assassination akin to nuclear terrorism" on the streets of London, Emmerson said.
Standing outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday night, Marina Litvinenko nonetheless welcomed the conclusions of the mammoth investigation.
"I am of course very pleased," she said. "The words my husband spoke on his deathbed when he accused Mr Putin of his murder have been proved true."
Key points
• Judge Robert Owen cited abundant evidence that Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun placed radioactive polonium-210 in Alexander Litvinenko's tea at a London hotel on November 1, 2006. He died on November 23.
• Owen concluded there is a "strong probability" the poisoning came under the direction of Russia's FSB spy agency, and that the operation was probably approved by then-FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev and by President Vladimir Putin.
• Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced the inquiry as a "quasi-investigation" that would "further poison the atmosphere of our bilateral relations" with Britain.
• British Prime Minister David Cameron said the evidence in the report of a state-sponsored killing is "absolutely appalling", and Britain summoned the Russian ambassador for a dressing-down and imposed an asset freeze on Lugovoi and Kovtun.
• Interpol has issued notices calling for their arrest, although Russia refuses to extradite them.
• British-Russian relations have been chilly, but the report comes as the countries are cautiously trying to work together against Isis (Islamic State) in Syria, and neither wants a major new rift.


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Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Beautiful new 1:12 scale baby girl!
My first doll house size baby with a cloth body...making her even more poseable than the full body babies because she can turn her head from side to side. Stephanie measures just 2 1/4 inches and has a beautiful hand made daygown and knitted bonnet. I have listed her on ebay with a low starting bid:
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First of all, it's snowin' again today, more than yesterday. GAH! One of those "you can barely see the road" types of snows, at times. Snapped a picture of the girls eating this morning. No, they didn't get wet and shrink up, I was just too far from 'em for a good picture and the rest of the pics got a snow covered camera lens fouling things up.
Figure I better explain the killer cow reference in my bio, just to get it over with. Over the years I've had many many killer cow and killer bull episodes. A few ending with blood covered injury, most just ending with a very rapid gate climbing or fence hurdling, or running and screaming like a little girl.
A few years ago I had a cow that just sorta "snapped". One day she was all fine and dandy and then Kapow! she was psycho killer cow. Only thing that could have been worse was if she'd had vampire teeth or something. Anyhow, I had her in the barn and when you walked in she'd throw her head up high and put her butt in the corner of her pen, throw dirt with her front foot and just wait for you to get within ten feet of that pen and then WHAM, she'd slam into the gates trying to make your children into ancestors. I kept her in there for a few days, giving her ground corn and alfalfa hopin' that the special treatment would calm her down, when I knew that it wouldn't.
Giving her the corn had turned into an adventure all it's own, I'd worked out a game where I'd fake her out by starting to walk to the pen, she'd slam the gate and re-group for another attack and during the re-grouping is when I'd pour the corn over the gate into the feed box. Sheesh.
So after about a week of this, I decided it was time for the old girl to make a trip to McDonald land and become a happy meal. Now we get to the fun part where I'm actually gonna have get in the same pen with Bessie Dahmler and load her in a trailer, and I gotta be truthful here... I've been "wooled up" more than once by deranged livestock and I don't like it much. I don't care how much money them boys win by riding a bull that's half bovine and half satan, it ain't enough.
Here is where I had a brain storm. I knew a boy at the time, that lived about 30 minutes away that was (you ready?) a professional rodeo clown, plus he had his own livestock trailer too!! So, I call him up. "Larry? This is Jace, I gotta cow in the barn that has gone totally wrong and wants to kill every human being she sees. You interested in coming and gettin' her and hauling her to the butcher plant?" Larry the rodeo clown that lived 30 minutes away was there in 20 minutes with his trailer and a smile on his face.
We walk in the barn and she's back in the corner throwing dirt and shaking her head and doing that warblely deep moo (if you've been around a psycho cow you know the sound) with loads of slobbering. Larry gets on the gate and starts to climb in and I tell him "Larry, really.. she's pretty nuts, watch yourself." Larry still has the same smile on his face that he came with and jumps right in the pen with her.
Near as I could tell she was just simply shocked that any fool would get in the same pen with her and she just locked up. Froze. Un-moving. Un-killerlike. Un-exciting. Larry the rodeo clown says, dripping with sarcasm "Ewwww she's a scary one all right" I was thinking "clown". Then he throws his hat at her. She sniffs it and slobbers on it and stays in the corner. Then Larry did something that ever since I wish I'd had a video camera to document what happened next. He dropped down to his hands and knees and pawed dirt and scampered around on the barn floor.
Evidently this is like an emotional laxative to a frozen psycho cow. She came tee totally 100 percent un glued and made the wildest, head down, bellowing charge I've ever witnessed. Larry side scampered the cow, got on a gate, she ran past him and directly into the trailer and I slammed the door shut.
I dunno if there's a moral to this story or not, if there is I guess it'd be "when you have a personal little rodeo, call in the clowns first thing."
Friday, December 28, 2007
Killer Cows and Clowns...
1 comment:
- Vicky said...
OMG! ROFLOL! I'll never see another cow without thinking of you and Larry the Clown!
One request,though. Could you please demo the "screaming like a little girl" thing? Might be a big You Tube hit! :)
Definitely a Ruby Red Jello Award blog today!
- December 28, 2007 at 11:02 AM
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For the third consecutive year TELUS, Canada's fastest growing national telecommunications company, will be lending its support to the David Foster Foundation Miracle Gala & Concert on Sept. 27, 2014 in Calgary.
In addition to joining the event as the presenting sponsor, the TELUS Community Ambassadors will give where they live and provide hundreds of volunteer hours toward planning and presenting the fundraising evening.
Presented by TELUS, the David Foster Miracle Gala & Concert will take place in an elegant and intimate setting within a WestJet hangar on Calgary's WestJet campus. Each year the gala helps to raise funds for the David Foster Foundation, which was started in 1986 to support the non-medical expenses for families of children undergoing lifesaving organ transplants and to raise awareness on the importance of organ donor registration throughout Canada.
"I am thrilled to have the amazing team at TELUS join our foundation once again as our Presenting Sponsor," said Mike Ravenhill, CEO of the David Foster Foundation. "TELUS has supported our Foundation since 2010, helping to provide financial support to the many families with children undergoing life-saving pediatric organ transplants."
Since 2010, TELUS has donated more than $2.1M to the David Foster Foundation to support Canadian families with children in need of an organ transplant. TELUS Community Ambassadors volunteer, not only for the David Foster Foundation, but also for many other organizations and events throughout the community. TELUS' support comes from a dedicated group of team members and retirees, and is one of the largest corporate-based volunteer organizations in Canada. More than 3,400 current, former and retired TELUS team members volunteer as TELUS Community Ambassadors in 23 clubs in communities across Alberta, BC, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
"The work David Foster and his Foundation are doing to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation in Canada is critical and we are honoured to continue this partnership," said Andrea Goertz, TELUS chief communications and sustainability officer. "TELUS is proud to work with the David Foster Foundation to help make a difference in the lives of families in need and to educate Canadians on the benefits of becoming organ donors."
The David Foster Foundation has a goal to raise $30M by their 30th anniversary in 2017, and last year raised nearly $4M during a star-studded evening in Toronto, ON, featuring performances by Andrea Bocelli, Earth, Wind & Fire, and The Tenors.
Foster will be joined by celebrity guests that will be announced over the next few months. Each year, he reaches out to his international network of talented friends to create an unforgettable evening of entertainment and help raise funds and awareness for families waiting for organ transplants.
Tables of ten for the September Gala start at $15,000, with the premium tables selling at $25,000. Tables are available for purchase through the Foundation office. For more information on ticket sales and to view the "Save the Date" and past gala footage, click on the links below. www.davidfosterfoundation.com. Save the Date: http://bit.ly/U39ZWK
Since 1986, the David Foster Foundation nearly 1,000 Canadian families with children in need of major organ transplants and provided millions of dollars in direct family support. In 2012, there were 3,404 patients waiting for organ transplants and only 1,168 patients who received transplants. During that time, 161 patients died while waiting for an organ. The Foundation's financial commitment to families ranges from an average of $10,000 per year up to $100,000.
Sponsorships are the cornerstone of the Foundation Gala's and once again community minded businesses including Boston Pizza, RBC, Trailcon Leasing Inc. and Integrated Planning & Solutions have joined TELUS and WestJet to lead the way in supporting the foundation's Miracle Gala and Concert in Calgary.
About the David Foster Foundation
David Foster is a proud Canadian, Recipient of the Order of Canada, Officer of the Order of Canada, 50-time nominee and 16-time Grammy Award winner (including three for Producer of the Year), three time Oscar nominee, Golden Globe winner, seven time Juno Award winner, Emmy award winner and has the distinguished honour to have his star on both the Canadian and Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is the man behind the biggest hits, with more than half a billion records sold.
Foster launched the David Foster Foundation in his hometown of Victoria in 1986. Across Canada, the David Foster Foundation financially supports families for all non-medical expenses while their children are undergoing lifesaving organ transplants. Thanks to its annual fundraising efforts and the generous support of national partners like TELUS, WestJet, and Aird & Berlis LLP families receive support for expenses incurred when travelling away from their homes to be with their child during transplant. The Foundation also promotes organ donor awareness and registration in both Canada and the United States. For more information, visit www.davidfosterfoundation.com.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is Canada's fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $11.5 billion of annual revenue and 13.3 million customer connections, including 7.8 million wireless subscribers, 3.2 million wireline network access lines, 1.4 million Internet subscribers and 842,000 TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video, and is Canada's largest healthcare IT provider.
In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $350 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 5.4 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.
For more information about TELUS, please visit www.telus.com.
About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's most-preferred airline, powered by an award-winning culture of care and recognized as one of the country's top employers. We offer scheduled service to more than 85 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Through our regional airline, WestJet Encore, and with partnerships with airlines representing every major region of the world, we offer our guests more than 120 destinations in more than 20 countries. Leveraging WestJet's extensive network, flight schedule and remarkable guest experience, WestJet Vacations delivers affordable, flexible travel experiences with a variety of accommodation options for every guest. Members of our WestJet Rewards program earn WestJet dollars on flights, vacation packages and more. Our members use WestJet dollars towards the purchase of WestJet flights and vacations packages on any day, at any time, to any WestJet destination with no blackout periods ̶ even on seat sales. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit www.westjet.com.
Media Contacts:
Brian Cant, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838, 250-888-8729 (cell) or email@example.com
Deirdre Campbell, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838, 250-882-9199 (cell) or email@example.com


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Fair Game
Hmm...well I didn't guess right in my hunt for the bad guy, in fact the person I thought it was ended up dead themselves. It was a very interesting and well thought out storyline.
It was the romance that I didn't enjoy as much. There wasn't much reading time of the couple together, not until after the half way point could they even really be in the same room without arguing over the past--though it was all one big misunderstanding.
I like Josh's work and I'm sure I'll read the next book in the series at some point just to see what happens next with these two.


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Johann Hari writes for the left-leaning Independent and frequently turns up at the equally left-leaning BBC. He is the person for whom the descriptor 'bleeding heart liberal' must have been coined. He is infuriatingly and narcissistically wet, completely self-absorbed in his precious, politically-correct metrobubble – so much so that I am driven to shout obscenities at the screen as he drivels on and on in his whiney tone delivering ghastly, florid prose that would shame a teenage girl (or boy if you could drag him away from his XBox for long enough to write anything).
Unfortunately, I think I must have a masochistic streak and on stronger days, like a moth to a flame, I feel compelled to read his articles just to enjoy a few hours of splenetic rage. Judging by the comments he receives, I am not alone. He reserves his extra-special brand of awfulness to witter hysterically about climate change. I'm not going to suffer alone – here's his latest missive.
Johann Hari: A turning-point we miss at our peril (dum de dumdum..)
Sometimes, there are hinge-points in human history – moments when we have to choose between an exuberant descent into lunacy (that would be the useless windmills, I guess), and a still, sober voice offering us a sane way out (burn coal, says the Time Traveller!). Usually, we can only see them when we look back from a distance (but on this occasion, anybody with half a brain sussed the con from the get-go). In 1793, the great democrat Thomas Paine said the French Revolution shouldn't betray its principles by killing the King, because it would trigger an orgy of blood-letting that would eventually drown them all (but if he were alive today, I think Tom Paine would have largely approved of the resultant French Republic, Johann). They threw him in jail. In 1919, the great economist John Maynard Keynes said the European powers shouldn't humiliate Germany, because it would catalyse extreme nationalism and produce another world war. They ignored him. In 1953, a handful of US President Dwight Eisenhower's advisers urged him not to destroy Iranian democracy and kidnap its Prime Minister, because it would have a reactionary ripple effect that lasted decades. He refused to listen. (But the whole world listened to Al Gore. Irony eh?)
Another of those seemingly small moments with a long echo is happening now. A marginalised voice is offering us a warning, and an inspiring way to save ourselves (oh no, not another rapture prediction) – yet this alternative seems to be passing unheard in the night (poetry dear Reader, sheer poetry). It is coming from the people of Ecuador, led by their President, Rafael Correa, and it would begin to deal with two converging crises (I repeat – dum de dumdum).
Are you sitting comfortably children? Then Johann will begin..
(Once upon a time), In the four billion years since life on Earth began, there have been five times when there was a sudden mass extinction of life-forms. The last time was 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs were killed, probably by a meteor. But now the world's scientists (not all of them, just the Harold Camping followers amongst them) agree that the sixth mass extinction is at hand. Humans have accelerated the rate of species extinction by a factor of at least 100, and the great Harvard biologist EO Wilson warns that it could reach a factor of 10,000 within the next 20 years (hmmm… note the evasive 'could'. Is there any concrete evidence? We keep hearing stories about species being found that were thought to be dying out or extinct – this is just the latest – and we are also constantly reminded that there are species out there that we know nothing about – as in this recent story. In light of these two factors, it is impossible to derive any truth from modelled extinction rates – especially when greenie distortions enter the equation: polar bears, for example, are considered to be endangered even though their numbers have increased five-fold in 30 years). We are doing this largely by stripping species of their habitats (especially in Indonesia where the greenie-inspired obsession with biofuels has led to the widespread destruction of the orangutan's only habitat). We are destroying the planet's biodiversity, and so we are making the natural chains that keep us alive much more vulnerable to collapse (actually, Johann, most of us owe our lives to the advances in science and technology made possible by the availability of the cheap and plentiful energy that you so despise). This time, we are the meteor.
At the same time, we are dramatically warming the atmosphere (now Johann, that's a bit of a fib isn't it? We warmed up a teensy weeny 0.7ºC over the 150 years to 1998 but most of that increase has been wiped out since then hasn't it? Had you forgotten that we've been naturally warming since the Little Ice Age? And it's still not as warm as the Mediaeval Warm Period, is it? I know your models say something different but they were designed by people who don't understand the climate – none of us do, so don't try to argue otherwise. Don't forget that we also modelled our economies – where far fewer variables are involved – and you know how well that worked out for the world… And when you say that we're responsible, you're overlooking the CO2 causation dispute.. and the solar/cosmic ray theories. You're not telling the whole story are you. Johann? Do it again and I might have to tell your mother..). I know it has become terribly passé to listen to virtually all the world's scientists (virtually all of them, Johann. Really? How many would that be then?), but I remember (hyperbole alert!) the collapsing glaciers I saw in the Arctic, the drying-out I saw in Darfur, and the rising salt water I saw in Bangladesh (I know that you're still a little wet behind the ears Johann and you won't have too much personal experience to draw on but you're supposed to be a journalist for heaven's sake. Don't you do any research? All of these things have always happened – here, here and here for example). 2010 was the joint-hottest year ever recorded, according to Nasa (but not everybody agrees do they Johann? In fact, it looks as though a little fixing was organised given that the year started and ended with two, long, cold winters). The best scientific prediction is that we are now on course for a 3ft rise in global sea levels this century (no, the best scientific prediction would be based on the observation that the sea rises at a steady 1.8mm or so per annum and has done so for at least a century and a half. That would equate to a rise of 16cm – 6.5 inches – by the end of the century. And if you consult Dr. Nils-Axel Moerner, a real expert on sea level rise, he will tell you that even this figure is likely to be an exaggeration). That means goodbye London, Cairo, Bangkok, Venice and Shanghai (You're always telling us this sort of thing. The Maldives are a few inches above sea level and you once repeated their government's assertion that they were going to be inundated. Do you remember? I asked you that if this was the case, why they were building new airports. You never answered me, did you?). Doubt it if you want, but the US National Academy of Sciences – the most distinguished scientific body in the world – just found that 97 per cent of scientific experts agree with the evidence. (Let's just look at the details of this typical warmist abuse of the statistical process. First of all, the NAS has not 'just found' this information; it's a year-old 'survey'. Secondly, the 'scientific experts' were selected climate researchers, in other words, people whose livelihoods are dependent on shoring up the predictions of thermageddon. And the 97% were a further sub-set in that they were 'climate researchers most actively publishing in the field'. More to the point, of the 100s of 1000s of scientists worldwide, there were only 1372 carefully selected 'scientific experts' to begin with. And this is the real killer: according to the abstract here the 97% refers to the 'scientific experts' who "support the tenets of ACC outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change". Of course they support the tenets but we were under the impression that we were supposed to be dealing with science, not religious conviction).
So where does Ecuador come in? At the tip of this South American country there lies 4,000 lush square miles of rainforest where the Amazon basin, the Andes mountains and the equator come together. It is the most biodiverse place on Earth. When scientists studied a single hectare of it, they found it had more different species of tree than the whole of North America put together. It holds the world records for different species of amphibians, reptiles and bats. And – more important still – this rainforest is a crucial part of the planet's lungs, inhaling huge amounts of heat-trapping gases (no Johann, they survive and grow by absorbing benign carbon dioxide) and keeping them out of the atmosphere.
Yet almost all the pressure from the outside world today is to saw it down (Well, I've not been pressuring them. Nor's Doris from next door. Most importantly, USAID is actually trying to protect Ecuador's environment. Are you sure you've got this right?). Why? Because underneath that rainforest there are almost a billion barrels of untapped oil, containing 400 million tons of planet-cooking gases (Reader, I warned you that he could be a bit hysterical). We crave it. We howl for it (break out the ketamine!). Unlike biodiversity and a safe climate, it's tradable for cash. (Johann, dear boy; I don't know whether you've noticed but your idea of a safe climate is resulting in the trading – and waste – of squillions in cash. You and your kind have introduced the most corrupt form of capitalism we've ever known. And you know that oil drilling doesn't require widespread forest clearance don't you? Probably less than for a few windmills…).
Here is a textbook example of what is driving both the sixth great extinction and global warming (that textbook being "1001 ways to frighten the bejesus out of gullible people and part everybody from all their money"). We have been putting short-term profits for a few ahead of the long-term needs of our species (Oh, Johann. If only you had ended that sentence with 'the many' rather than 'our species', I could have agreed with you. But the long-term needs of our species include shelter, food and warmth.. and all of those depend on technology and plentiful energy.. and you don't want those, do you?). Every rainforest on Earth is being reduced to the money that can be stripped from it (for your preferred bio-fuels, as I've already said): yesterday, Brazil's Chamber of Deputies voted to slash the amount of the Amazon that must be preserved by landowners (hang on a minute; Brazil's own politicians: not the US or the greedy western corporates? Shome mishtake, shurely?). Except this time, for the first time, the people of Ecuador have offered us an alternative – a way to break this pattern. Alberto Acosta, the former energy minister who drew up the plan, calls it a punto de ruptura – a turning point (I think it means 'breaking point', Johann), one that "questions the logic of extractive development" (that's mining to we ornery folks) that drilled us (do you see what he did there?) into this species-swallowing hole (OK, I think you've tortured this
hopeless helpless metaphor just a little too much now).
Here's the offer. The oil beneath the rainforest is worth about $7bn (Oh-oh. I sense a less-than-inspiring bung brewing). Everybody knows that a stable climate, biodiversity and functioning lungs are worth far more than that (I'm a Brit and a grown-up, Johann. I expect my climate to be unstable). But until now, nobody has been willing to pay (ah-ha!). Ecuador's democratic government says that, if the rest of the world offers just half of what the oil is worth – $3.5bn – they will keep the rainforest standing and alive and working for us all (round of applause, I think. In other news, send me £29.99 and I'll keep my garden working for the world). In a country where 38 per cent live in poverty and 13 per cent are on the brink of starvation (none of whom would see a cent of this money), it's an incredibly generous offer, and one that is popular in the rainforest itself (no excrement, Holmes!). As one of its residents, Julia Cerda, 45, told New Internationalist magazine: "With oil, the government just sells it to richer countries and we're left with nothing, no birds or animals or trees (just jobs and an income – you're supposed to be on the brink of starvation, if you recall)."
No country with oil has ever considered leaving it in the ground because the consequences of digging it up are too disastrous (I think, Johann, the full stop should have been more accurately placed 10 words ago). This is a startling attempt to reverse one of the greatest dysfunctions in the global economic system (that's 'startling' in the con-artist's demanding money with menaces sense of the word). The market considers things like species diversity, the climate, and the rainforests to be "externalities" – factors not affected by the price and profit mechanisms, so irrelevant, and dispensable (OK, Johann, now you're talking utter spheroids. The market is currently dominated by your so-called externalities. My utility prices are being driven up by them, the fuel in my car has been driven up by 50% because of them, we're paying for renewables obligations certificates, recycling taxes and higher food bills because the stupidity of you and your fellow greenies has caused the world to convert food to fuel. So don't try your pathetic sob story on me). It's a system that, as Oscar Wilde put it, "knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" (he also said "Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong"). The people of Ecuador are trying to find a way to get us to see the value of some of the most important things on Earth (or President Rafael Correa's bank balance, at least).
They first made this offer in 2006. So how has the world responded? Chile has offered $100,000. Spain has offered $1.4m. Germany initially offered $50m, then pulled out. Now President Correa is warning that they can't wait forever in a country where 13 per cent are close to starving. If they don't have $100m in the pot by the end of this year, he says, they will have no choice but to pursue Plan B – the digging and destruction of the rainforest (TIMBER!).
If one rainforest seems a small matter to you, remember that the head of one deposed French king, the punishment of one broken country and the deposing of one Iranian prime minister seemed fairly minor once. (But remember, Johann, the alarmist tales of Y2K, global cooling, swine flu, SARS, acid rain, the ozone layer, bird flu, BSE, human variant CJD, AIDS and witches all of which seemed fairly major once..).
This, too, could be a moment where history branches into two directions (on a point of order Johann, I think you'll find that history only has a single direction although you and your fellow alarmists are doing your best to divert the course of the temperature record. However, the potential paths into the future are infinite). On the path to the right, we turn down the chance to restrain ourselves, and decide with a shrug to burn all the oil left in the world's soils (if there's oil in the soil, burning it would be for the best), and hack down all the remaining rainforests (hmmm. I think they are more likely to survive if we use coal and oil rather than biomass and biofuels). Professor James Hansen, the Nasa climatologist (he's actually an astrophysicist and an environmental activist. It has to be said that his record on climate prediction would have been improved with greater reliance on seaweed), explains where this ends: "We would set the planet on a course to the ice-free state, with a sea level 75 metres higher (by your own alarmist calculation above, Johann, you have to realise this is going to take another 75 centuries or so. Don't you think a proper scientist would suggest that a few more decades of research might be preferable to swilling away trillions on an unproved – and, frankly, unlikely – hypothesis? If you consider the progress we've made in just 150 years, we're likely to be living elsewhere in the universe long before those 75 centuries have elapsed). Coastal disasters would occur continually (he's obviously visited my home town..). The only uncertainty is the time it would take for complete ice sheet disintegration." (And if we don't know that, we cannot know that it will happen at all).
But there is another path (is that a heavenly choir I hear?), where we choose to protect humanity's habitat (it is!) – and are prepared to pay for it (my mistake; it was the chorus of usurers humming 'Money for Nothing'). If our governments won't accept this offer, at this late moment in these ecological crises, what are they saying about themselves – and about us?
Now that last is very good question Johann. What does it say about the strength and spread of the green cause if after 5 years, it hasn't been able to raise that sort of money for such a humanity-saving project? $3.5 billion is about 50 cents a head if everybody contributed. Obviously, people like me wouldn't help and lots will be too poor but professional greenies like you, Monbiot, Romm et al could afford a few dollars more and the likes of Gore, Schmidt, DiCaprio, Gates and Charlie Windsor could probably sponsor several million between them. You should certainly be able to raise the requested $100 million by the end of this year shouldn't you? It's not a lot for all you fervent believers, is it? So instead of whingeing at us to create your utopia, why haven't you done it?
Is it that you know that once you've handed over the money, there's no way of guaranteeing that the forest will remain untouched? Is it the knowledge that USAID has been pouring millions of dollars of aid money into Ecuador for so-called habitat protection since 2006? Perhaps you are just an unrepresentative minority?
Or could it be that none of you really believe your rhetoric any more than we do?


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The Last Great Wonder of the World
Gabrielle Vosteen
The last Great Wonder of the World
People tend to believe that the greatest threat to human survival is pollution and global warming. Where these are dynamics that threaten our quality of life, they are also by-products of an even greater danger. The single most paramount menace that threatens human survival is the deforestation of tropical rain forests by the hands of man in the name of progress. The only way to remedy this ominous hazard is to get people to view tropical rain forests as more than mere varieties of vegetation and wild animals. The key to solidifying the necessity of tropical rain forests lies deep within the intricate layers of biodiversity that culminates into life sustaining resources for human life. In general, in order to obtain a basic understanding of the importance of tropical rain forests, one needs to comprehend the hierarchy of levels of species that live there. Whether the topic is the American, African, or Asian rain forests, each forest bustles with diverse species. With genetic diversity, there is a balance of different adaptations of the same gene within a particular species. Then there is species diversification, to which there are numerous assorted creatures within each individual ecosystem. Lastly, there is ecological diversification, which is the breaking down of elaborate complexities of a biological colony that collects energy, sustains food sources, and reuses natural materials to keep the life cycle flowing (A. Akesen, K. Isik, and F. Yaltirik). The abundance of life is mostly due to the ample supply of solar energy at lower altitudes allowing the species here to thrive (Rainforest Conservation Fund). In the same way, rainforests are designed in layers that house the many bustling species and numerous plant-lives. First, there is the emergent level, which holds the most visible attribute of the rainforest with its widely spaced trees that grow to approximately 100-240' feet tall. The second level is called the canopy, with trees that grow to be about 60-130' feet tall. The majority of animals of the rainforests live in this level because food is most abundant, making their need to travel to the forest floor very rare. The third level is called the understory, where small trees, shrubs, and brush grow. The plant-life seldom grows beyond 60 feet in height. Finally, there is the forest floor, which remains in constant shade so the soil is quite poor in nutritional value (blueplanetbiomes.com, 2001). See food web chart on following page for a better depiction of life in the tropical rainforest. [pic]
However, the biggest threat to the harmony and existence of tropical rainforests is deforestation. People are most commonly acquainted with logging practices as the culprit of deforestation, but deforestation takes many forms (Butler, R.). Added to the list of possible destructors are clearing for new roads and land seizure for growing crops (Lindsey, R., 2007). Of course, there are positive benefits for using logging practices. Without the harvesting of trees, it would not be possible to build homes, erect new businesses, or make a path for new roads so people can travel in order to obtain needed supplies and medicine. An increased population of consumers now uses an additional 2% of paper products each year. The rising need for paper, packaging, fiberfill, and wood is equal to one tree per person that is 16" round and 100' tall (Associated Oregon Loggers). Furthermore, the human population benefits greatly from many products and medicine cultivated from tropical rainforests. For example, gathered from these forests are oils, fibers, resins,...
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Sorry for not updating for so long, guys. The anatomy on this is so bad it's not even funny, but I felt I should post something to let you guys know I'm still alive. <<; Anyhow, I'll be returning in August with new comics. :D
Aww, thank you~ <3
As you can...
aww this looks really cool! i can't wait until you update!! i love ivy's expresion! she like, "whatever i's got my ice-cream!!!" XD
ok, I will be eaiting to read the new comics.. (if I don´t die of the long wait)..
This comic is GREAT!!! *jump up and down*
wow I just stumbled upon your comic today and read all of it (in record time, I might add) and it's fantastic! I love the layouts of the pages and the toning is spectacular! :D
Exiled Dreams copyright Charlotte "Sharly" Vevers 2005-2008. Website hosted by Smackjeeves.


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OK, this is going to one of a hell of a long update, so I'll update it in three different parts, here goes:
It was surprisingly a fun day, as Thursdays are usually boring, the day always started with Sharnili(or Sharlini I'm not really sure but heck it) teaching POA at a very, very slow pace. That gave our day a slow start, which wasn't what we are expecting. Kenneth and Adam came late, almost 30 minutes late, Rebecca was sick , so Amber was like sitting there alone when I came in. The situation was pathetic at that moment, three empty seats but the lecture went on nevertheless. I was exhausted after running all the way up the hill, as always. 30 minutes later, the other two arrived and then we started chatting like hell, and no, Sharmili didn't give a "Please keep your volume down" thingy.
Our hysterical laughter didn't manage to dent Sharnili's teaching spirit, so we went on and on, time really flies when we concentrated on something rather than concentrating on Sharnili. The instant the lecture ends, we flew off like flocks of birds. We then decided on paying a sick friend of ours a visit.
Our visit got a little bit more serious then we expected, our spirit was high, as there was a scheduled POA test afterwards, our instant-made study group then had only one goal, to score well for POA. It's not only high, it's very high. We shared tactics, strategize and explored new ways of dealing with the matter, it's MOB coming to life. Low machiavellianism, Team Mangement (9,9) management styles, cross-functional team, you name it! It was a great experience as everyone was serious at work. Unfortunately, I had flu, which was my BANE of the day. My mood then slumped downwards, productivity was at 50% and my mood was crappy. Never-the-less, great experience. This study group will stay.
I won't mention P.O.A anymore.(If anyone had said not to mention about anything, which means it's something dissapointing, sooo, yeah, same situation)
Adam, Kenneth and I then went home by Taxi, we were forced to. Bus 74 was full like hell, it was like those trains filled with Indians you see in TV or movies, yes, not to exaggerate but the situation was that bad. Two or three buses hit with this situation passed us by, we walked to the main bus-stop and it was ALMOST the same situation but this time, it's like Uncles and Aunties waiting to rush in a newly opened One Dollar Home Furniture Store. Hundreds of them, yes.
So we're only left with an option, Taxi. Thank god the taxi driver agreed to let us in although he was changing shift.
My day ended sleeping damn early due to headache and heavy flu.
Written on 21 July 2007


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Most of my Kentucky FB friends are giddy over the Cats win over the 'heels today. Although I like UK, I find it hard to get into it during the regular season. Folks both of these teams will go to the tournament as 1 or 2 seeds. Let me be clear though, there is not much better entertainment than the NCAA tournament. The main difference I like the NFL better is that every game is big and meaningful. Also, any team truly can beat any other team. There are only 16 games and, therefore, every game has meaning. I would like college football better also if they would have a true 8-16 playoff. Then the regular season would have meaning. You lose 1-2 games you have no shot to win the championship, that just seems wrong to me. But great game 'Cats!
The LL and I are not headed to the movies tonight. The Lady Bulldogs surprised us and are in the finals of the Dixie tournament, so we gotta go root them on. So it's lay around, eat some sloppy Joe's and head out around 7:00. I enjoy high school basketball games. These are just kids trying to do the best they can and amateurism at its best.
We were able to see Trent play basketball today. It was a laugh a minute, they just love running around the court not aware of anything but what's going on in their own little worlds. I find it amazing how the girls are much more agressive than the boys. There really is no difference in their joy and abilities at 5. Somebody makes a shot and they go crazy. They don't keep score so at the end of the game all the kids think they won. The adults, however, do. Trent's team lost by about 10. That's sad I was doing that, isn't it. It is crazy how sports minded people are wired.
Great weather day in Covington today. It was about 55 at 3:00 and felt like summertime. The BMan has to enjoy these type of days because there won't be many in the next few months. I actually saw people golfing on the drive back from Lexington. I was ready to get out there myself.
Have a great Saturday night!!


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Harry believes the most important part in developing a team and running a successful project is developing leaders, which has been a passion of his since high school. After serving as President of his youth organization, New England Region BBYO, he learned how to work with people to help develop their own leadership skills. Throughout college Harry served in leadership roles in his fraternity and student government, furthering his passion for leadership development. He knew after serving in these roles, he was not in a position to have a career as an administrative assistant or working 9-5 in a corporate office. Majoring in political science and gaining experience in both policy work with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and campaign work with former State Senator Warren Tolman (D-Watertown), he quickly fell in love with the campaign lifestyle.
Harry joined GCI in May of 2015 as an Assistant Director in the Boston office running campaigns for Planned Parenthood & Doctors Without Borders with a team that raised over $130,000 that summer. Over the fall season, Harry was able to work with the Southern Poverty Law Center, building support and finding members passionate about fighting against hate groups and discrimination. After directing for seven months, he is currently on the National Recruitment team to build up our staff for one of the most important elections in recent history.
"One of my proudest accomplishments was seeing two of my summer Field Managers work their way up to become directors".


text: Ermines and Sable Report post #1 Posted September 24, 2012 I noticed that some users edit one article multiple times in a relatively short time span such as a few minutes. This not only causes the "Recent Changes"-page to be a mess, but also is not good for the wiki's servers in terms of traffic, I believe to recall from other wikis. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Sadie Reese Brown
3:20 am
8 lbs 0 oz
20 inches long
I cannot wait to meet you little girl. I love you more than I can explain, and I haven't even set eyes on you yet. It seems like I have been waiting so long for you to get here.
Congratulations Jean and Steven. Thank you for bringing my darling niece into this world. I cant wait to start spoiling her!


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Fresh Global Texan Weekly is in.
We're back!
Thank You for coming by Global Texan chronicles as we went on a Spring break to soak up sun and drink. And thanks for checking out rock tracks hand delivered by Real Rock And Roll Music Blog, sounds by late greats Lisa Donnelly and JT Coldfire, videos from Eamonn Dowd & The Junebugs, checked back in with Marie Danielle, and Ken Michaels had a fresh Beatles Show ELT for your Yeah Yeah Yeah needs!
Here is what was read the most this past week April 17 – 23, 2017:
- GTC Has Track Picks Real Rock And Roll Music Blog Edition April Pt. 2
- Rock In Peace JT Coldfire
- Lisa Donnelly, a legacy of stories in song
- Beatles Show Every Little Thing: Paul McCartney 'New' 2fer
- VIDEO: Eamonn Dowd Departure Lounge
- 5 Albums That Shaped Musician Chuck Westmoreland
- In His Own Words: Glenn Frey on making records
- Marie Danielle Hustling For The Truth
- GTC Has Track Picks Real Rock And Roll Music Blog Edition April Pt. 1
- VIDEO: The Junebugs – Oregon
Where did you come from last week?
- United States
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Australia
- Italy
- Sweden
- France
- Ireland
- Spain


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Caffeinated Curiosity ~ Part One: Cognitive Awesomeness
If you would rather take caffeine supplements than drink coffee – Then we can't be friends.
A little strong, but… coffee is great because it tastes great, but also because it is one a few reasons I survived my MSc research! Obviously it was not the taste alone that got me through this… it was the caffeine – something I am sure we can all relate to.
Before we go any further – If you think coffee dehydrates you because of the caffeine content, then please listen to this podcast with Dr. Sophie Killer for information of why this rumour is not cool!
As the effect of caffeine is such a 'cluster-fu*k' of awesomeness – It seems logical that we start by introducing caffeine and outlining the cognitive effects, before delineating how this relates to YOUR sporting performance in Part two. In Part three we then look at the best strategies to ingest caffeine? What amounts are required? & Is there a difference in performance between coffee and caffeine' supplements?
Most of us have it everyday ~ but what actually is Caffeine?
Caffeine is part of the methylxanthine family, which increases the excitability of the adenosine-sensitive sympathetic nervous system (Biaggioni et al, 1991; Kalmar & Cafarelli, 1999). These signals that originate within the sympathetic nervous system produce transient increases in the concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP; Spraul et al, 1993).
cAMP is an intracellular (Can't pass through the plasma membrane) protein which regulates cell signal transduction (It basically controls processes in-side the cell such as ion transportation).
Caffeine inhibits the enzymatic degradation of cAMP by acting as an antagonist of adenosine, increasing the strength of transmitted signals (Dulloo et al, 2000; Belza et al, 2009). These general physiologic effects of caffeine are often presumed as 'stimulatory effects' due to the perceived increases in concentration and 'feeling awake', however the beneficial response to caffeine intake is varied with many 'non-stimulatory' effects also documented (Glade, 2010) – But more on these in Part Two!
Caffeine increases 'mental energy'
'Mental energy' is an interesting term; everyone knows what it means but I am guessing few could tell you what it actually is (e.g. You eat carbohydrate for energy due to increases blood glucose. You drink coffee and…?). Cerebral blood flow (blood flow to the brain) has been documented as being proportional to acute caffeine intake (Addicott et al, 2009), with 400mg of caffeine significantly increasing blood flow through the anterior cerebral arteries (Sigmon et al, 2009) – enhancing the efficiency of neuronal networks in the cerebral cortex (which plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness and consciousness). A nice study demonstrated increases in neuronal activity in a network of brain areas that are associated with attention-demanding cognitive functions in tasks that required working memory (Koppelstaetter et al, 2008) after 100mg of acute caffeine ingestion. These increases in 'mental energy' can enhance the functional capacity to engage in cognitively demanding tasks and are associated with increased vigilance, alertness and ability to concentrate (Lieberman, 2007) – essentially meaning you are mentally prepped to DOMINATE!
Mental energy = > Cognitive Function = Sporting Performance
As previously mentioned… caffeine makes you cognitively awesome. Several human studies have documented increased alertness, ability to concentrate, problem-solving ability, wake-fullness, and feelings of 'energy' (Hogervorst et al, 2008; Hewlett & Smith, 2007; Hindmarch et al, 2000), with perceived effects documented in as little as 20 minutes (Hewlett & Smith, 2007; Lieberman et al, 1987) in varying doses and populations (Kennedy et al, 2008; Hindmarch et al, 2000). These benefits of caffeine extend beyond just reflections of enhanced mental energy, with associations documented between pre-exercise caffeine intake and post exercise accuracy/speed of performance in tests of complex cognitive function (Hogervorst et al, 2008), outlining importance of caffeine intake for sports which rely heavily on decision making. In many placebo-controlled studies, the placebo was ineffective, with the acute consumption of caffeine producing significant improvements in reaction time, accuracy of responses, ability to focus attention, ability to solve difficult problems, mental fatigue, and alertness (Rao et al, 2005; Lieberman et al, 1987). Caffeine's relevance to enhance sporting performance is further supported by the acute consumption of a 64mg dose eliciting increases in the accuracy of response, coupled with decreases in reaction time (Lieberman et al, 1987), in healthy young adults: often the population of recreational and elite competitive physical activity.
Caffeine rocks… which is why a large proportion of the world are dependent on it. However – remember that there is a habitual response; the magnitude of effect is proportional to how regularly and in what quantities you consume caffeine!
Now that the basics are locked down… Keep a look out for Part Two in the coming days to find out how to we can utilise caffeine intake to enhance your sporting performance!
Want to share your experience of caffeine on cognitive function?! – Get in touch on Twitter: @W_T_Wellness or at on Facebook at WellTraveledWellness.
If you require further physiological support – don't hesitate to sign up HERE, visit Well Traveled Wellness.com, or reach out and say hello at firstname.lastname@example.com!
ReferencesShow all
Addicott MA, Yang LL, Peiffer AM, Burnett LR, Burdette JH, Chen MY, et al. The effect of daily caffeine use on cerebral blood flow: how much caffeine can we tolerate? Hum Brain Mapp 2009;30:3102–14.
Belza A, Toubro S, Astrup A. The effect of caffeine, green tea and tyrosine on thermogenesis and energy intake. Eur J Clin Nutr 2009;63:57–64
Biaggioni I, Paul S, Puckett A, Arzubiaga C. Caffeine and theophylline as adenosine receptor antagonists in humans. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1991; 258:588–93.
Dulloo AG, Seydoux J, Girardierz L, Chantre P, Vandermander J. Green tea and thermogenesis: interactions between catechin-polyphenols, caffeine and sympathetic activity. Int J Obes 2000;24:252–8.
Hewlett P, Smith A. Effects of repeated doses of caffeine on performance and alertness: new data and secondary analyses. Hum Psychopharmacol 2007;22:339–50.
Hindmarch I, Rigney U, Stanley N, Quinlan P, Rycroft J, Lane J. A natural- istic investigation of the effects of day-long consumption of tea, coffee and water on alertness, sleep onset and sleep quality. Psychopharma- cology 2000;149:203–16.
Hogervorst E, Bandelow S, Schmitt J, Jentjens R, Oliveira M, Allgrove J, et al. Caffeine improves physical and cognitive performance during exhaustive exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008;40:1841–51.
Kalmar JM, Cafarelli E. Effects of caffeine on neuromuscular function. J Appl Physiol 1999;87:801–8.
Kennedy MD, Galloway AV, Dickau LJ, Hudson MK. The cumulative effect of coffee and a mental stress task on heart rate, blood pressure, and mental alertness is similar in caffeine-naïve and caffeine-habituated females. Nutr Res 2008;28:609–14.
Koppelstaetter F, Poeppel TD, Siedentopf CM, Ischebeck A, Verius M, Haala I, et al. Does caffeine modulate verbal working memory processes? An fMRI study. Neuroimage 2008;39:492–9.
Lieberman HR, Wurtman RJ, Garfield GS, Roberts C, Coviella ILG. The effects of low doses of caffeine on human performance and mood. Psychopharmacology 1987;92:308–12.
Lieberman HR. Cognitive methods for assessing mental energy. Nutr Neurosci 2007;10:229–42.
Rao A, Hu H, Nobre AC. The effects of combined caffeine and glucose drinks on attention in the human brain. Nutr Neurosci 2005;8:141–53.
Sigmon SC, Herning RI, Better W, Cadet JL, Griffiths RR. Caffeine with- drawal, acute effects, tolerance, and absence of net beneficial effects of chronic administration: cerebral blood flow velocity, quantitative EEG, and subjective effects. Psychopharmacology 2009;204:573–85.
Spraul M, Ravussin E, Fontvieille AM, Rising R, Larson DE, Anderson EA. Reduced sympathetic nervous activity. A potential mechanism predis- posing to body weight gain. J Clin Invest 1993;92:1730–5.
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About Rowan Patrick Rimington
BSc, MSc, ISAK. S&C coach. Cell Biology Doctoral Candidate at Loughborough University.


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Lovely Tina Crossgrove over at The Sew Weekly, who also blogs at Down the Retro Rabbithole, sent me these things in the recent pattern swap. The pattern is definitely 'me' and I love how I can make up my own design from it. Some of the buttons are from her grandmothers collection, so truly vintage. Thanks Tina, I'm honoured!
Monday, 7 May 2012
Treats from Tina!
Posted by Marguerite D at 13:22
8 comments:
Wow! you are a lucky lady at the moment!ReplyDelete
I love your pattern , and How nice to recieve the package..Fun, fun..ReplyDeleteReplies
It is fun Judy and a great pattern for the summer. I love it when someone else chooses something that they think will suit.Delete
Oh, what a lovely collection of goodies! Those white buttons with black highlights are adorable. :-)ReplyDeleteReplies
I like those ones too ...Delete
What a lovely parcel - lucky you xReplyDeleteReplies
I'm glad I took part now - it was a last minute thing.Delete
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Last month I started taking adult gymnastics classes so I could relearn how to do flips on the trampoline. It's very fun but excruciating. I'm still not able to tell what hurts because it's out-of-shape and what hurts because a 40 year-old body isn't meant to do that, and I've forgotten how to stay tight, but I'm getting better.
The club where I take my class is one that I go way back with. The summer of 1983 I was a student there and it moved locations to the local historic theater. Two years before that, the theater was a roller skating rink and I'd been skating there. Three years later, in 1986, I was coaching gymnastics, still at the theater location. Now, over 20 years later, I'm a student again and it's at a third location.
This is a quick flip only video.
If you're short on time, this is the one to see.
Here I am in open gym.
I love the in-ground tramp; you can't fall off!
Going through my moves!


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Holy Moly...what a weekend!
I didn't realize how busy this weekend was going to be...
Here is a summary of what we did:
I voted, had dinner with some of our favorite college friends, ran in the #happiest5kontheplanet with Amanda, took the kids to the pumpkin patch, shopped at a super cute barn sale, celebrated with the in-laws for Carter's birthday....MAN...we were busy!
{was happy to vote early and beat the crowds!}
My Mom took Chloe to the St. Louis Zoo on Saturday so we were a 1 child household {I have forgotten what that is like}! So I had a low key early morning breakfast with my favorite 2 year old--Donuts & Waffles--Yum!
Afterwards, we headed to the Hayloft Barn Sale!
It was precious...I'm already excited for the next one in the Spring.
Here are my finds!
I immediately hung up my new "J" sign in our master bathroom...I have been wanting something to "jazz" it up in there so this was the perfect fit..along with a few extras I had laying around! I'm pretty pleased!
Saturday night, we headed to dinner with Adrienne & Travis / Amelia & Andrew!
We went to Viragos in Nashville and chowed down on lots of yummy sushi!
It was a nice low-key adult night!
Finally, this picture was from last Saturday morning!
I ran 3 miles with Amanda & Casey {oh, and my sweet niece, Chandler}!
Thanks Scott for the snap shots!
These girls were helping me get ready for The Color Run I ran this past weekend...more on that tomorrow!


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Feb. 21, 2017 — The first ArabSafe committee meeting was held during the Total Radiology Conference at Arab Health 2017 last week. Modeled on the EuroSafe Imaging campaign, the new group aims to establish a radiation safety culture among Arabic-speaking countries and to ensure the appropriate use of radiation in medicine in the Middle East.
Learn more »
Pledge to image wisely by optimizing radiation dose.
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It's hot here — finally. I know the rest of the country has been baking, but it's taken till mid-August for it to feel like summer around here. It's not the best time to be turning on the oven, and we don't own a grill, so besides making the usual bulgur salads, I'm cooking a little less and keeping things simple.
Who says you can't have a meal of mostly vegetables along with a good slice of bread? (I love carbs). Corn on the cob, new potatoes, fresh string beans with a little lemon zest….to me, that's a great summer supper.
This was my idea of a buffet lunch: crackers and cheese, marinated artichokes and olives, melon and blackberries, and a little salad of green beans and garbanzo beans with red pepper and lemon and olive oil dressing.
About the most complicated (i.e. not very) dish I made recently was a lemon-basil recipe that I adapted from Nigel Slater.
I love what Slater writes about lemons:
"Few sights lift the spirits like a crate of lemons with their glossy leaves intact. Lemons are as much a part of the kitchen as pepper and salt."
I didn't have linguine so I made it with fettucine in the photo above. Delicious, but the linguine is even better at soaking up the sauce — I tried it later. I'm still adjusting the recipe proportions, so if you try it and think it needs a little more or less of something, please let me know.
Lemon and Basil Linguine (serves 2)
- 1/2 pound of linguine
- grated zest and juice of one large lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmeggiano or Pecorino cheese
- handful of basil leaves, torn into small pieces
- salt and pepper
Bring a big pot of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine until done (7 or 8 minutes).
Meanwhile, put the lemon juice, olive oil and zest in a warm bowl and whisk till emulsified; then add the torn basil and the cheese and whisk again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the linguine, and toss together with the sauce until each strand is coated evenly with the sauce. Serve immediately.
Pasta cooks quickly so it's a good choice for a summer evening, and this is also a nice way to use fresh basil especially when those fresh tomatoes are in short supply….
One could finish such a supper with the best summer dessert of all: fresh fruit (with or without vanilla ice cream).