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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30532465253380811582020-05-11T23:34:45.939-07:00Progress Trumps PerfectionCarolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-92155232043438240532013-05-13T19:22:00.000-07:002013-05-13T19:22:59.671-07:00Share and Not Share

Often our health care team only sees us for about 15 minutes several times a year, and they might not have a sense of what our lives are really like. Today, let's pretend our medical team is reading our blogs. What do you wish they could see about your and/or your loved one's daily life with diabetes? On the other hand, what do you hope they don't see?<o:p></o:p>

I'd like for my healthcare team to see and appreciate that every day is different. Having the "right" basal rates or insulin/carb ratios in place is certainly a desirable thing. But my activity levels, work times, food choices, etc. are very fluid. In fact, there are really very few constants.

One of the most hated questions for me is "so what does your blood sugar normally run?" Sounds innocuous, but it makes me want to scream…THERE IS NO NORMAL. There may be A1C's, other averages and standard deviations, or a % of the time spent in a certain range, but there is no normal. If you really want to know, download my meter. Most of the time endoc's know better than to ask that question, but other members of my health care team (opthamologist, obgyn, etc.) seem to have the annoying habit of asking it at every single visit! I would like for them to really see how hard that question is to answer.<o:p></o:p>

What do I hope that they don't see? Now that is interesting to ponder. I think it would be best for me if they saw everything. Hmmm…sounds kind of like God's role though. Human to human, I guess I'd rather it not be known how lazy and just tired of the whole thing I am at times. How I choose to eat something else sometimes even when my blood sugar is high. Or how I go to sleep more nights than I'd like to admit not testing after dinner because I'd rather fall asleep on the couch watching Survivor or Dancing with the Stars. <o:p></o:p>
 Carolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-1865023995242504882011-03-21T19:15:00.000-07:002011-03-21T19:39:47.878-07:00Emergency BrakeHave you ever pulled out of the driveway, and realized you had the emergency brake on? The car goes alright, and maybe even quite a distance before you notice it, but it's slow and sluggish.

Well, that's how I think I've been approaching my athletic endeavors. Yes, I've been pulling out of the driveway, and even getting onto the road pretty often, but not doing everything I can to achieve. So I decided this is the year that I take the brake off. I finished my 3rd 1/2 marathon in late February, and am moving on to a goal of one triathlon a month for the next 6 months. Instead of ignoring the orthotics with a hole, and the IT band pain that has been with me off and on for the last couple of years, I have sought out professional help for each issue (no, not that kind...at least not yet :) ). I replaced my mountain bike with a road bike that is more appropriate for triathlons. I've joined an online mentor group, and ask lots of questions. Oh, and yes, I am training consistently, and hopefully getting a little smarter about it along the way. I've dropped 8 lbs since mid December, and it's gotten easier instead of harder to eat well.

I don't know why I have not done these things before, but there is just been this underlying fear of really going all in, or that I somehow don't deserve the resources to help me along the way. I'm sure there will be bumps along this road, but it's just a different attitude of tackling them instead of hoping they will go away. So no more burning up the emergency brake!Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-24550927195109897862011-01-26T08:43:00.000-08:002011-01-26T09:06:12.580-08:00The Value of AcknowledgementI went to a new podiatrist this week for an opinion as to whether my orthotics and shoes were right for me. Long runs have been causing me some pain, and I'm trying to be proactive about it instead of waiting for a total breakdown that makes me scrub my goal of my 3rd half marathon. So I found one who is about my age, and training for her first ironman. Based on my experience with other non-endoc medical professionals, I wasn't expecting a whole lot with regards to diabetes understanding.

We got to that inevitable question..."So, how is your diabetes?". I proceeded to tell her "decent...A1C usually around 6.5, slipped up to 7.0 last time but working on it". The next thing she said was music to my ears. "Well, it can always be better, but that's actually pretty good for a T1. I know it's a really difficult thing to manage." It was those last words that got me. I just don't hear that much except for the DOC. It means so much for someone else to simply acknowledge that it is difficult. No advice, no second guessing, no dwelling on the issue, just acknowledgement of what is a fact.

I hope I can apply that to being a better friend to others.Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-83389263120582216042010-11-10T12:27:00.000-08:002010-11-10T12:45:22.397-08:00SpeechlessI've read lots of great posts lately about educating and advocating. I just can't figure out how to do that when I'm speechless. Today at a work luncheon, small pieces of toffee were passed around for us to sample as a potential client gift. I had one that measured maybe 1/2 an inch, and the lady across the table from me looks at me and says very loudly...."You can't eat that!". She then proceeds to tell everyone at the table "She is diabetic!" Then she turns to me again with a scowl on her face and says "You're cheating!!!" No, she wasn't joking. All I could manage to get out was "I take insulin so I can eat. Here's my pump (pointing)". I knew that anything I could say would be useless in convincing this lady of anything. One of my co-workers nodded and shot me a look of understanding and encouragement, and I frankly think the rest of them were as dumbstruck as I was. So perhaps staying silent was the best thing I could have done so that her rudeness could just echo in the conference room without interference. I have the urge to send her some educational material about diabetes, or perhaps an excerpt from a few of the wonderful "6 things" posts that you guys have written, but I doubt it would be worth the effort.Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-78747118028993850472010-07-27T06:47:00.000-07:002010-07-27T07:11:25.935-07:00It's Not Always the DI just returned from a run that dropped my blood sugar. Only down to 72, but in the middle of a run, that's not the best place for it to be. So I choked down 4 glucose tabs, swigged some water, and continued on. Not the best run, but it's summer in TX, and the heat and humidity really saps me. When I got home, I took off all my gear (fuel belt, Ipod, etc.) as usual. Then I noticed that I could not hear well out of my right ear. Sort of felt like it was under water.

So I start thinking, wow, this must be a new symptom of a low. As I got my meter out, I was expecting a 46 or something similar. But my blood sugar tested at 116, so all was well there. Then I start wondering if maybe I have some water in my ear from swimming on Sunday, or maybe I turned my Ipod up too loud, or maybe this is a residual symptom of an earlier drop in blood sugar, or.....???? Finally, I reached up to feel my ear and realized that the spongy earbud cover from my ipod had come off and stayed stuck in there. Had to just laugh at that point. Talk about overlooking the obvious! I hate it when other people or doctors jump to the conclusion that everything going on with us is somehow D related, and there I went and did it myself!Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-4962259558879699552010-05-14T05:44:00.000-07:002010-05-14T06:29:08.884-07:00Late to the PartyI really wanted to participate in D blog week. You know, be a better citizien of the online diabetes community. But my "want to" got swallowed up in other aspects of life, and I didn't ever get around to it. Actually, that's not true. I wrote a post the first day, then promptly lost it. Anyway, I have really enjoyed reading everyone's posts, so I thought I'd try to catch up with an abbreviated version of the week's topics.

What is a Typical Day? - Although my A1C is decent (usually around 6.5), there is no typical day, and my standard deviation is not very standard. Diabetes tends to be randomly unpredictable, and also morphs over time. The trouble is, it's hard to separate what is day to day unpredictability and what are truly trends. That is especially true since I also have trouble making myself sit down to analyze the data. But either way, diabetes is always playing a tune, either in the background, or blaring into the foreground.

How to deal with lows? - Sometimes I'm very measured and disciplined with eating glucose tabs or a cliff shot block and waiting. Other times, I wind up raiding the pantry for things like cake frosting or molasses, and chase it with orange juice. If that doesn't make me feel better, but I know I've already overtreated, peanut butter is the ticket. I can't remember what my lowest low has been (upper 20's I think), but I have never passed out in 17 years with D, so perhaps I inherited the "no pass out" gene along with the T1 gene. My glucagon is long expired, so hope I don't need it.

Best Supporter? - That's easy. My husband is the absolute best at balancing loving concern with letting me handle it. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for him. I really struggle with letting non-D folks in on what it is really like living with D, and tend to put on a brave face with most. I also do that with family members who have overreacted in the past. But my husband sees my not-so-brave face, and still manages to stay balanced. Amazing!

Carbs? - Absolutely, in moderation. Nothing is off limits, but some things are not for the best. Keeping it to 45 grams per meal or less is what works for me, and I do that for most of the day. But I'm afraid my pump has given me a little too much license in the snacking department. My after dinner snack-bolus-snack-bolus fests are the bane of my control, but I have yet to chase that monster back into the closet. So total carbs have been averaging 165 per day of late. Still fairly moderate I suppose.

Exercise? - This is weird, I know, but I love it! Running, walking, and more recently swimming and biking. It's all good. It is an escape, a chance for my mind to wander, for me to pray, and to just feel alive. I love experiencing changes in the weather, and have been known to purposely run in the rain. I often take my most active dog along, and love to watch her senses come alive as we stalk squirrels, or she drops to the ground to roll in the cool grass. I've done lots of 5K's, a couple of 10K's, a couple of (very slow) 1/2 marathons and 1 triathlon so far. It's not easy trying to balance the insulin/carbs/exercise/all other X factors equation. Sometimes I fail miserably and wind up in tears as I cut a run short to treat a low. But part of the appeal of exercise is that feeling of transcending diabetes in order to do it.

Thanks for indulging my tardiness, and I look forward to reading more of everyone's posts.Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-15802479101718688512010-03-25T07:21:00.001-07:002010-03-25T07:41:04.170-07:00Why this but not that?I work as a CPA, but do not prepare federal income tax returns as part of my work. Never have; I just don't want to specialize in that. Around this time of year, as April 15th approaches, lots of well meaning friends express concern about "how busy you must be this time of year". This is in spite of me having told many of them previously that I don't do taxes. I do not find this to be upsetting at all, and have plenty of patience and grace to extend to those friends, as I'm sure they extend to me on other things.

Contrast that with how I feel when those same well meaning friends make comments about my diabetes. You know what I'm talking about....things like "oh, I forgot, you can't eat that, can you?", or "you need to eat your lunch right on time, don't you?" That in spite of me having told them previously that Type 1 diabetes is not so much about what I cannot eat or when I eat (thanks to my pump), but about matching insulin with what I do eat and my activity level. Why do those questions still cause a flood of emotions, and leave me often reliving the comment long after it is made? I do my best to extend grace to those friends, and in my head realize it's unrealistic to expect them to remember much about my diabetes. But it's a battle to fight through those initial emotions to get there sometimes.

Both are sterotypes of sorts, but one leaves me feeling judged, and the other does not. How about you, have you found a dichotomy in how you respond to D related comments vs. comments about other aspects of your life?Carolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-58450250619309427412009-12-18T17:30:00.000-08:002009-12-18T18:13:54.019-08:00Not a Flat LineThis week I had my annual eye exam with the retina specialist. I thankfully don't need a retina specialist at this point, but figured it would be good to get to know a good one before I do. And it fulfills my annual oath as a person with diabetes to have the all important dilated eye exam. OK, so there is no oath, and I apparently turned it into a biennial kind of thing since they don't send out reminder cards and neither did my brain. But I digress....

The real reason for this post is the conundrum posed by the ineveitable questions posed by most health professionals to those of us who are pancreatically challenged. The first of those is "so, what do your blood sugars usually run?". This time I dodged that bullet by giving them my A1C of 6.5, which drew a "not too bad" response (is that like a 7 from the russian judge?). Then, the tech or assistant or whatever her title moved in for the kill..."so, are they pretty steady?", she queried. At this point, I couldn't help it, and just laughed. After I got that out of my system, I told her that "Type 1 diabetes simply isn't like that. Different days bring different challenges, and blood glucose is not always a flat line, so that is a very difficult question to answer. Today happens to be a good one, but a couple of days before that...not so much." Then a really good and unexpected thing happened, and she told me she has a friend with type 1 who says the same thing. Well, yippee, at least we are singing the same song.

Anyway, I'm not sure why those questions are so annoying to me, but they are. The tech was very nice, and our exchange was amicable, but I always feel icky after answering, like I'm taking a test with no correct answer. Basically, anyone who asks me things like that, other than my endoc or another person living with T1, just draws an automatic assumption on my part that they won't possibly understand a real answer. I have this desire to whip out a few weeks worth of CGM data and ask them to tell me "Can you define steady? Is this steady enough?". Maybe I'll do that next time :). Life is not a flat line, and neither is my CGM graph.Carolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-2762281233519473712009-10-25T16:16:00.000-07:002009-10-25T16:33:56.677-07:00First TriathlonMonster Triathlon Race Report (300 meter swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run)

A good friend and I finished our first triathlon this morning, and had a great time doing it. I still don't know our time, but I'm sure it wasn't particularly fast. Had lots of time to get nervous before the swim, with 750 of us lining up (sort of). Nice big pool with 50 meter X 8 foot lanes, and after waiting about 45 minutes for our turn, my friend and I were able to start one right after the other. We actually passed a few people! Considering that both of us were freaked out about just putting our faces in the water only a few months ago, we did pretty well. We did get held up behind a couple that missed the memo about staying right unless you are passing. They insisted on staying side by side, taking up the whole lane. While she attempted to breast stroke and side stroke, he swam along shouting encouragement whilst not letting anyone pass. Tried the left, no good, tried the middle, and they closed ranks, but finally got by! Other than that, our swimming fears have been laid to rest, and the swim was my favorite part of the whole thing, even though it was the part I dreaded. Go figure!

T1 was fine, and thanks to the volunteers, I didn't miss the timing mat on the way in like I tried to. I didn't test, and my CGM had not "found iteslf" by the time I started. The bike leg was good, but pretty hilly and quite windy today, so a bit tougher than we anticipated. Two loops, so we knew what we were in for the 2nd time around. We were both riding our mountain bikes, but managed to actually pass a few folks on spiffier bikes. Heard a high blood sugar alert from from my continuous monitor early in the bike ride, so knew I didn't need any carbs.

Before the swim, my BG was 181 and supposedly dropping. But by the time T2 came, it was at 340. Adrenaline + going anaerobic on the hills + being disconnceted from my insulin pump waiting to swim + plus the beginning of a cold = not a good combo for that. So I need a new plan for next time to at least replace the basal insulin I missed during the swim line up and swim.

Between that and the harder bike ride, the run pretty much sucked for me. Back tightened up like never before, and I had to stop to stretch it and walk a fair amount. My friend stuck with me, but I kind of wish she had gone on so I wouldn't feel bad for sucking AND holding her back. I think it was something like 34 minutes for the run/walk we wound up doing. It was her turn to come in ahead (long story), so I encouraged her to go ahead for the last 1/10th. I managed to run in the last 1/2 mile or so looking reasonably strong, and raised my arms in victory crossing the finish line.

Cool finishers medal, and nice long sleeve orange and black tech shirt to complete the halloween theme. Awesome support from our husbands, who carted our extra "stuff" around, took pictures, and put up with our pre-race nerves. My mom even came to cheer us on . Would I do it again?....yep....but not right now!Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-46932120221261695732009-10-20T08:16:00.000-07:002009-10-20T08:50:04.273-07:00The Hay is in the BarnThis Sunday I'll be attempting my first triathlon. It's a relatively short one, with a 300 meter swim, a 12 mile bike ride, and a 3.1 mile run. This will be a fairly light workout week leading up to it, since the training I have already done is what matters physically. It's been a bumpy ride during the 12 week training program, with a 2 week cold/flu thing in weeks 4 and 5, being a few lbs heavier than I'd like to be, and now a tear in my right arch. As of today, I think I'm reasonably ready to complete it, though perhaps not as well as I would have hoped initially.

The training has consisted mainly of doing either a swim, bike, or run 5 or 6 days a week. On some days, I've put together biking and swimming, and on a few others, biking and running. But Sunday will be my first time putting all 3 together. Although that's fairly normal in preparing for a first triathlon, it leaves me with some lingering questions as far as BG management. I'm hoping my CGM will be in synch come Sunday so I don't have to test in the middle of the bike ride, but it may come down to that. I've had a couple of episodes lately where the CGM trend totally misled me. The swim is so short that testing after that in T1 won't do much good, and after the bike ride in T2 will be too late for any carbs I take in to do much good. I'll just have to play the CGM game by ear and hope for the best.

So I'm reminding myself this week that: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." (Prov 19:21). I've trained with a good friend who will be racing that day too, and our friendship is stronger and deeper as a result. My awesome husband will be getting up a 0-dark-thirty with me so he can support me and hand my pump back to me after the swim. God willing, all will go the way I would like it to, but if not, it will still be alright, and there is purpose in that too.Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-27981863963592242432009-07-30T10:21:00.000-07:002009-07-30T10:39:18.981-07:00CGM Jury Still OutThanks so much for the comments on my last post. In spite of a power outage that caused some bad hair this morning, I went to my Endoc appt today. I received the results of my first A1C after starting on a CGM two months ago. He does the quickie in office A1C test, and has even moved the machine that hums and whirs to produce that magic number into the exam room, which leaves me with sort of a Magic 8 ball type of feeling about the whole thing.

A1C six mos ago was 6.5, and today it was 6.6. I've bounced between 6.3 and 6.7 for the last few years. So is the CGM helping? I think the jury is still out. I know I like being able to see what's going on, and that I'm less hesitant to make changes, but I think a little less talk and a little more action (thanks Elvis) are in order. Got a couple of suggestions from my endoc that will hopefully help get my overnight #'s in better shape, and he offered to help me troubleshoot between appts if not.

I also have to realize that over time, my body changes, and sometimes just staying the same is a victory. I'm in my 40's, have put on a few unwanted pounds in the last few months, and have seen, but not wanted to acknowledge, that I'm not quite as insulin sensitive as a result. Denial is a many splendored thing. So I'm crankin' up the juice a little more and we'll see what happens.Carolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-20187526436569685222009-07-29T10:46:00.000-07:002009-07-29T11:09:00.294-07:00The A1C after the CGMTomorrow is my first post CGMing appointment with my endoc. I almost cancelled it, but somehow managed to "select 1 to confirm the appointment" when I got the reminder call yesterday.

So what's the problem?? I'm afraid I haven't done the CGM justice by reducing my A1C.

I have made some positive changes that may actually lower it, like increasing overnight basals, not purposely running so high prior to exercise, bolusing more aggressively when appropriate, and correcting more often. It's also been less than 2 months that I've been hooked up and seeing those nice graphs, so why can't I cut myself a little "learning curve" slack?

But I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach like if the A1C is not better, I might have to give my CGM back. Ridiculous thought (I mean...who would I give it back to?), and intellectually I know it's not true, but it is how it FEELS. But I'm going tomorrow, though I may look odd clutching my CGM site and hissing at anyone who approaches me.Carolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-70869545173681233422009-06-12T06:02:00.000-07:002009-06-12T06:36:11.161-07:00Breaking the RulesDisclaimer: I'm not a medical professional, just another diabetic, so don't take what I do as correct...it's just what I do.

We had a series of thunderstorms this week, and my 90 year old father-in-law lost his power. So he came to spend the night with us. We got up early the next morning, and he was stressed out about getting home...insisting he needed to take one of his medications right at 6:45 am. We took him home right away. This may have been right for that medication, and perhaps a few minutes on either side would really matter.

Since then I've been feeling resentment about the many "rules" that I was told early on applied to my diabetes care. I know the folks who taught me these rules were erring on the side of caution, and telling me what they were legally bound to say. But diabetes puts enough demands on life that I don't need any "extra" ones. Early in my diagnosis, I didn't know how to sort out what was really critical, so tried to follow everything to the letter. Here are the ones I can think of that I have kicked to the curb over the years:

Change your lancet after every use -- umm once in a blue moon

Swab your finger with alcohol before you do a finger stick -- never

Swab your injection site, pump site, CGM site with alcohol prior to injecting (or inserting) -- never, just make sure area is clean

Always refrigerate your insulin -- I used to stress over whether there would be a fridge at hotels, now current bottle stays at room temp and additional supply is in fridge at home

Change your pump site every 2 days -- umm 4 or 5 days usually

Change your CGM site every 3 days -- I lie to my pump -- telling it I have a new sensor when I really don't -- so I can use for each sensor for 6 days. The poor thing has yet to wise up!

Take Lantus at same time every day -- early on I was dogmatic about this, but soon found out that for me the darned stuff didn't last 24 hours anyway

Swab top of insulin bottle with alcohol -- never

How about you? Are you a diabetes renegade?

Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-61351012260882704572009-06-04T05:58:00.000-07:002009-06-04T06:17:00.487-07:00CGM Truth or Dare??Last week the curtains were pulled back to reveal a 24X7 movie of my BG control. There was no red carpet rollout for the premier, but it was a big event for me nonetheless. I started on a new Minimed pump and CGM last Thursday.

First, I was giddy with being able to see so much more about what is happening, and just kept looking at the trends in a distant sort of way, as if they were not really connected to me. This week, reality is starting to sink in, and I'm faced with some things that I need to change if I want to improve my control. Like cutting out the late night snacking, and upping my basal rate after I workout. Both of those things are scary to me in their own ways. Even though I may have suspected them before, now the data is smacking me in the face and hard to ignore. No more namby pamby..."I'm not really sure what's happening so I'll just keep doing what I want to." I know this is a good thing, but as with facing any challenge, there is emotion and resistance to overcome.

So I guess it's really more of a game of truth AND dare now, isn't it?Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-86081069229633463562008-12-15T06:02:00.001-08:002008-12-15T06:30:06.557-08:00To reschecule or not to reschedule........that is the question.

I had to cancel my endoc appt. 2 wks ago due to a stomach bug, and have yet to reschedule it. I guess there are two components to my reluctance. First, I have the feeling my A1C will not be stellar. I'm always thinking that though, and am usually pleasantly surprised with the results. So the bigger factor is that I still feel like I don't get much help from my endoc other than ensuring a signature on those prescriptions.

When I mentioned to a friend at church who is a nurse that I had to cancel my endoc appt and mammogram last week, she got this worried look on her face and said something like "Oh, wow, that's not good, will you be OK until you can get in to see your endoc?". A nice well-meaning question, but pretty far off target. I replied, "I've been at this a long time, and really the endoc doesn't tell me much I don't already know." Probably sounded arrogant, but it's true.

Last time, I asked him for help in avoiding lows while running. He said I could fax him some numbers and handed me a worksheet with blanks for only before and after meals, no space for a pump basal rate, etc. I asked if I could send him a spreadsheet instead that included room for more testing, carb intake, etc. surrounding exercise, and he said they preferred all patients to use their (totally inadequate) form. This really should not upset me that much since I have a history of not doing a very good job of logging anyway. But it was just a sign of being alone in managing my diabetes, and has rattled around in my brain since then. Were it not for this wonderful online community, I would feel very alone with it indeed.

On the plus side, he did suggest I look into CGM's, and would likely be willing to help me get one. He was also very helpful when I had a pump malfunction that required me going back to shots for a little while. I'm probably looking for too much in a doctor, and this one isn't bad. So I guess I just need to book that appointment. Maybe I'll call...tomorrow.

I'm also curious...how many of you feel that you genuinely get help with your specific issues from your endoc/diabetes team? Am I expecting too much?Carolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-86479023944674005452008-09-11T11:31:00.000-07:002008-09-11T11:41:24.889-07:00Am I Borg?Had a weird dream last night. I was on an elevator with a bunch of strangers when I realized that my infusion set was in my cheek. No, not THAT cheek, the one on my face! It was the same feeling as the "realizing you are naked at school" dream. So what does this mean? Do I secretly want to be a member of the borg collective? Or could it be that I still feel self conscious about my pump? Or is it that I think it might be better if others had to truly come face to face with at least one reality of diabetes? It really is a hidden disease in so many ways, even for those of us who are pretty open about having it. How about you? What weird D related dreams have you had?Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-50400482624938575492008-08-11T11:38:00.000-07:002008-08-11T11:52:16.060-07:00MultitaskingMultitasking is a way of life. I ususally blame that on e-mail, voicemail, blogging, cell phone, blackberry, and other technological "advances". But I realized this morning that it has invaded my site change routine. While changing my set and cartridge, I also brushed my teeth, applied base makeup, and worked some conditioning cream through my hair. You know, there are those pauses while the pump realizes you've pulled out the old cartridge, and while the new cartridge is loading. Perfect time to trim your nails.

So is this odd? Do you multitask as you are changing out your set/cartridge? What things do you accomplish amongst the whirring and beeping of a cartridge loading?Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-70041512050003232092008-07-01T10:10:00.001-07:002008-12-09T12:08:03.242-08:00REQUEST FOR CGMS: DENIED BY INSURANCE

I didn't ask to have to worry about whether I will go low when I go for a run or even a walk, go to sleep, or God forbid, while I drive. I keep my blood sugars higher than recommended sometimes because there are so many unknown variables and the lows are debilitating. In case you are wondering, it's not a simple case of counting carbs and taking the right insulin doses. There are hormones, activity levels, and stress to try to "quantify", which is of course impossible. That is where a CGM could really help. Since we cannot account for everything, the best we can do sometimes is react to it. A CGM will help us to react faster, and to avoid the short term disaster of a severe low behind the wheel, as well as some of the long term damage that our bodies are racking up due to BG's that are too high as we try to avoid those lows based on as many test strips as we can afford. It would also help me to not lose heart in my battle to remain as healthy as I can.

My doctor suggested I look into getting a CGM, but so far I have found that I cannot afford it. Aside from the initial outlay for the device, the ongoing costs are roughly $400 per month. Trust me, I have no desire to wired up like a cyborg with my insulin pump and yet another device. But it is difficult to know that I cannot afford to come one step closer to a normal life. I don't know whether to address this to the insurance companies, the CGM manufacturers or our government, but I sincerely hope that all of them will hear our plea.
Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-48453988378772887282008-06-25T07:13:00.000-07:002008-06-25T07:21:02.391-07:00I Just Might Make ItIt seems like a long time ago that I signed up for the Diabetic Runner Challenge (see emblem on the lower right side of my BLOG). The challenge was to run 500 miles this year. I know the emblem says 1000 miles, but I picked the wrong emblem :(.

The last 6 months has not been a stellar time for me in terms of logging a lot of miles, but I did enjoy a few 5K's in the spring with progressive personal records, and have been doing a few shorter runs per week. Now it's mid-year, so figured I'd check my mileage total. Total miles logged on my Garmin....284. Woooohoooo, I just might make it!Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-12554956778734845712008-06-11T11:23:00.000-07:002008-06-11T11:46:10.370-07:00Keep on Keepin' OnIs it just me, or have others of you searched the news from the ADA conference looking for something to get excited about and come up lacking anything of substance?

Don't get me wrong, I'm so grateful for the tools that I have to manage my diabetes and realize how far things have come. I'm also grateful for the researchers who take a long term view and are patient enough to conduct their studies. But taking a shorter term view, say of the last 5 years, I just don't see anything that changes the way I LIVE with this disease. None of the studies and none of the devices. There still is not a closed loop pump/monitor. Continuous glucose monitors are not finding favor with insurance companies. There is continuing debate about the costs/benefits of tight vs. supertight control of blood glucose. I'm still not sure if the variability of my BG or the average is more important in preventing long term complications, and I don't know if it's more important to avoid the lows (other than to make myself not feel horrible in the moment and avoid passing out). I exercise because I like the way it makes me feel, but still don't know if the surrounding BG excursions do more harm than good. I haven't even seen meter sizes shrinking to smaller than my current Flash, or a pump that makes it worth ditching my Cozmo.

I guess I'll just keep on keepin' on! I'll admit I haven't read everything that has come out of the conference, so maybe I'm missing something big. How about you, anything coming out of the conference going to change the way you LIVE? Maybe I'll ask my endoc the same thing tomorrow.

p.s. I almost forgot, I did like the study that suggested it might be a good thing that I have gained a little weight since diagnosis. Still don't find it to be particularly useful though.Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-6022915695281800772008-05-19T10:30:00.000-07:002008-05-19T10:51:47.161-07:00Walking Barefoot on the BeachHubby and I just returned from a beach vacation in Destin, Florida. It was absolutely beautiful, and we had a wonderful time just relaxing, enjoying each other and doing "beachy" things. We were also celebrating our 20th anniversary. I cannot believe I've been married to the most wonderful guy in the world for 20 years!

The sand in Desitin is a beautiful white and almost looks like snow, and the water ranges from turquiose to emerald to blue depending on the depth and the weather. So splish spashing our way along the beach together was a favorite passtime. I felt like such a rebel because I walked (shhh...don't tell the diabetes police) BAREFOOT every day in the sugar white sand. Yes, I realize that I was literally risking life and limb to do this, but sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind. Hubby even got a little cut on his foot, but I continued in my daredevil ways. Some people parasail, some surf, and some swim with sharks, but I rubbed my toes in the sand, dagnabit!

It is amazing though, how much I thought about it. How lame is it that it was this big daily conscious choice? I'm also a "food tourist", so ate all sorts of hard-to-bolus-for things. Again, I enjoyed every moment of it, but thought about it a lot, puzzling over the carb counts and fat delays.

What would we do with all that mental energy if we didn't have diabetes?Carolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-82523719704970883992008-02-19T12:02:00.000-08:002008-02-19T12:25:48.708-08:00Diet MattersThe ole BG logging truck is definitely broken down and on the side of the road. That's the bad news. The good news is that I'm logging Weight Watchers points instead. Hubby is doing the online version, and I'm doing my own Excel worksheet version. I've been inspired by many of you in the OC who are losing weight with Weight Watchers. I lost 10 lbs with them a few years ago, and....ahem...need to re-lose at least those 10 again. After one week, hubby lost 5 lbs and I lost 3. I'm pretty sure that's the most weight I have ever lost in a week!

It is definitely making a difference in my BG's. I pulled the numbers out of my meter for the last week and here they are:

Average BG 108
Standard deviation 46%
41% in range, 39% low, 20% high

The number of lows is not acceptable, and I'm tweaking my ratios to try and get a handle on that. It's a little concerning since my BG upon waking in the morning has been in the 40's for 5 of the last 7 days. Not a good way to start the day!

On the job front, I'm starting a part-time, work from home accounting job tomorrow, and really looking forward to getting started. Pet sitting has picked up a bit as well, and I met with a really nice new client last night. Actually, all my clients are great. People who love their animals just tend to be my kinda people. Best of all, I found out last week that a new satellite church is opening soon in our area. The pastor and his wife were both used by God in my introduction to Christ, and my husband really respects them as well. We are both interested in helping with the new church.Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-34170370866342948422008-02-04T07:38:00.000-08:002008-02-05T08:17:34.022-08:00Logging for Superbowl WeekSuperbowl Sunday was pretty fun this year, even without the Cowboys. Our family came over to watch, and we had some bad-for-you football food. I made Sloppy Joe's w/ lean ground turkey and Rotel Dip w/ a little sausage thrown in. Can you guess which one we ate more of? We didn't even make the attempt at putting out a salad or veggies. And why is Rotel Dip so addictive anyway? Had a post meal high of 227, but brought that down to 117 by bed time. I did spend much of the day raking, mulching, and pulling weeds in the back yard, so maybe that counted for something.

As for logging, I'm sorry to report another not stellar week of keeping up with it. I did log my blood sugars, but mostly a day or two after the fact. At that point, it seems too difficult to remember what I ate or when I exercised, or to pull the bolus amounts out of my pump history. The only way I'm going to keep up with it is to do it at least daily. Here are the results. They highlight why my A1C comes back better than I think it should. I'm all over the place, but the average is decent. That "normal range" sure is slippery to hang onto! Guess that greasy Rotel Dip (and the chips) didn't help! Is anyone else willing to share their standard deviation with me? I know we're all different, but I just wonder how out of line mine is in comparison w/ other "living real life" Type 1's out there?

Avg BG -- 171 (wk1), 161 (wk2), 140 (wk3), 156 (wk4), 141 (wk5)
Normal Range -- 25%, 43%, 40%, 34%, 34%
High -- 64%, 49%, 40%, 56%, 48%
Low -- 11%, 8%, 20%, 10%, 18%
Average Daily Standard Deviation -- 64, 65, 62, 55, 62

I did get my resume updated, contacted my references and other contacts, and even got a little action on a couple of jobs I sent in for last week. Took a while to get myself psyched up, but I'm starting to get a better feeling about being able to balance some part time accounting work with pet sitting jobs, and still maintain some lifestyle flexibility. I have a phone interview this week w/ a local firm who wants someone part time with a home office set-up (check), one of my former employees may want me to do some work for his family's business, and I have lunch set up with my old boss who may need me to do a little contract work for the old job AND have a pet sitting job for me. May also help a friend with a team photo shoot and the related processing, which would be fun. All of this is rather preliminary, so not counting my chickens before they hatch, but it's at least encouraging. This free-flowing work life thing is still new to me, and part of me loves it. The other part still obsesses about making the right choices, how much to charge, how much work to take on, etc.Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-63825539151847053812008-01-28T08:58:00.001-08:002008-01-28T09:33:10.221-08:00Wheels Off the Logging TruckConfession time. My logging for last week stopped on Wednesday. It wasn't really a conscious choice, and at first, I wasn't sure why. But it just occurred to me that I had a couple of fairly stressful events around that time. They are not valid excuses, but do give me some insight into why I might have fallen off the logging wagon.

First, on Tuesday, I was out jogging with my dog Katy, a medium sized mutt. We had barely started running when a loose Boxer approached us. I thought things were going to be OK and they were going to be friends, but then another Boxer came tearing towards us and immediately jumped on Katy. He was twice her size and the fight was no match. A man out in the yard thankfully ran over and pulled him off of Katy fairly quickly. I checked her over quickly, and thought she had emerged unscathed. Then, the next day (Wednesday), I found a nasty looking gash on her neck/chest area.

It was somewhat obsured by her fur at the time, but I still can't believe I missed it. So off to the vet for antibiotics. It was already slightly infected so they didn't want to sew it up. Think she'll be OK, and the boxers' owner has agreed to pay the vet bills. But it was obviously upsetting, and also emotionally difficult to summon up the courage to confront the owners about the vet bills since I didn't discover the wound immediately.

Second stressful event was that hubby and I had agreed that I would look for some part-time accounting work since pet sitting is really slow this time of year. This is hard because it sort of feels like I'm giving up on pet sitting, even though I know that doesn't have to be true. At bible study on Wednesday, I mentioned that as I was chatting with my discussion leader after class. She then suggested I meet the Finance Director at the church as they had a need for someone on a part-time basis to analyze stats, giving trends, etc. We discussed the opportunity and I told her I'd consider it. It was totally out of the blue, and I had to do some serious praying and soul searching to see if that was something I should pursue. Although I have seen lots of confidential financial info in my career and learned not to let it impact my attitude, I have not done so for a church. I'm not a member of this church, just go to a ladies' bible study there. Although it did not shake my faith in Christ, my previous church had a serious financial scandal that rocked my confidence in churches being good stewards. Giving is an area of challenge for me right now, and I've always hated the constant touting of membership numbers etc. that is prevalent in many churches. So I opted not to pursue that job.

Meanwhile, back to the point of this post. It would seem that spiritual and emotional struggles impact my staying on track with logging. I had plenty of time to enter everything in my log, but apparently I am still really struggling deep down with not spending too much emotional energy in facing those numbers on a daily basis. I thought I was cool and analytical about it, but there is more to it than that.

At any rate, what I DID learn is that NOT logging also has an impact, and it's not so good. Even though I didn't log, I did go back and catch up on entering my BG's to see the overall trends. See the week 4 numbers below.

Avg BG -- 171 (wk1), 161 (wk2), 140 (wk3), 156 (wk4)
Normal Range -- 25%, 43%, 40%, 34%
High -- 64%, 49%, 40%, 56%
Low -- 11%, 8%, 20%, 10%
Average Daily Standard Deviation -- 64, 65, 62, 55Carolhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3053246525338081158.post-73284453122243198652008-01-21T05:42:00.001-08:002008-01-21T06:05:03.071-08:00Log Blog UpdateI'm proud to say that I have completed my third week of logging after a lengthy vacation from recording any D related numbers. Acutally, it was more like a sabatical since the time span was measured in years, not days. So remind me, how long does it take for a habit to become ingrained? Am I getting close?

It would seem that just by virtue of putting it all down in the spreadsheet, my control has gotten a wee bit better. But as with other aspects of D, even that picture is not clear. The first couple of weeks I was battling the cold virus that kept on giving, and my exercise level was below my norm. The third week was closer to a normal week in that regard, but came with its own hormonal challenges. Nightime went from being my worst time period, to my best time period. I do see some consistency in a spike after breakfast, so will try a little bigger boluses to see if that helps there.

Avg BG -- 171 (wk1), 161 (wk2), 140 (wk3)
% Normal Range -- 25%, 43%, 40%
% High -- 64%, 49%, 40%
% Low -- 11%, 8%, 20%
Average Daily Standard Deviation -- 64, 65, 62

Weight watchers has got it goin' on in terms of group support and accountability. When you're struggling, you can show your food log to your leader, and he/she will give you some pointers re: drinking more water, eating all your points, low point snacks, etc. Wouldn't it be cool if we could have group meetings like that....maybe something called "Glucose Watchers"? Fortunately, we have each other here in cyberspace, and for that I am very grateful.Carolhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
SafeandVaultStore SS-9A Modular Safe Deposit Boxes
- Dimensions:
- Outside: 16.00" H X 32.63" W X 24.00" D
- Weight: 149.00
- Burglar Rating: B-Rate Learn More
SafeandVaultStore SS-9A Modular Safe Deposit Boxes
The SafeandVaultStore SS-9A modular safe deposit boxes are like having a mini fortress in your business. Banks and financial institutions along with hotels and motels from all over the country trust the SS-9A to provide solid secure use for customers who need it.
The deposit box has 1/2" in the door and sheet steel in the body. Mount these multi stackable units together to create a solid structure of safe deposit boxes. The deposit boxes come standard with two locks. The locks are set into the door to prevent prying and picking attacks. The reason there are two of them is to provide the user with a bit of extra security. No box can be accidently opened with a master key because both keys need to be unlocked in order for the safe to be opened.
Inside you will find an interior bond box. The bond box is a sheet metal box that is finished in a rust resistant powder coat finish that provides a weather resistant environment. The box fits snugly inside and it will not slide around.
If comfort and secure storage are what your customers consider the best option, then the SS-9A is right for them. Brilliantly designed, and meant to protect what matters most, these safe deposit boxes will give your business and your customers the peace of mind you have always been looking for.
- Outside Dimensions: 16" H x 32.63" W x 24" D
- Color: Black Frame with Stainless
- 149 pounds
- 9 Openings 5" x 10"
SafeandVaultStore SS-9A Modular Safe Deposit Boxes

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|The Trump administration is blocking attempts to make workplaces safer for everyone. Take action!
|Dear Friends,
In this incredible #MeToo moment, many have asked what policymakers should do to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. In 2017, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) tackled this issue by updating a critical resource on unlawful harassment that provides important guidance for workers, employers, and those enforcing the law. The strong, updated guidance explains what constitutes sexual harassment and underscores that sexual harassment includes harassment based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
The EEOC approved the harassment guidance last November and passed it on to the White House for final review. But the Trump administration has been sitting on it ever since. Given the long delay and the administration's hostility toward the rights of women and LGBTQ people, we're concerned that this important guidance won't ever be released.
Will you join us in telling the White House to quit stalling and approve the harassment guidance as is?
As recent events make clear, employers desperately need to understand their obligations to protect their employees from harassment. This guidance would help businesses understand what actions constitute unlawful sexual harassment, including harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Given the history of allegations against the President, it is not especially surprising the Trump administration is failing to show leadership in addressing sexual harassment. But let's be clear: the administration is doing something worse than nothing. It is blocking attempts to make workplaces safer for everyone.
Take action: Demand the administration approve the harassment guidance immediately.
The Trump administration — through the work of extremists like Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos — has chipped away at the civil rights of LGBTQ people and women whenever possible. Now they are taking aim at our right to be free from sexual harassment, and we won't allow it. Take action now.
Thank you!
We the Resistance is our fight to protect our rights and freedoms and to defend the most vulnerable among us through powerful collective action. Every conversation you have with a loved one about the issues important to you, every call you make to Congress, every rally you attend is a part of that resistance. Join us — sign on to the We The Resistance manifesto.
No pet or human illnesses have been reported to date. The product passed lab testing on 12-22-2016 and was sold over 1 year ago to distributors listed above, on or before 1-23-2017. Reports from distributors indicate there is no product at any distributors.
The company was notified on 2-21-2018 by FDA and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). MDARD bought 1 chub at a Michigan specialty pet store and tested the sample which was negative for e coli, salmonella, and positive for Listeria moncytogenes. The company tests all batches of products for all pathogens in a positive release program before releasing for shipping. The company tests over 600 batches of product per week. The company is a dual jurisdiction facility regulated by USDA-FSIS every day on every shift and FDA. The company does dual lab testing several times per month matching USDA- FSIS lab samples and comparing results.
Consumers are encouraged to check the lot code on any 5lb frozen Chicken and Salmon chubs. Any product with the noted lot code should return product to the specialty retailer where purchased for full refund.
Consumers with questions may contact Northwest Naturals at 1-866-637-1872, Monday-Friday, from 8:00am to 4:00pm PST or go to www.nw-naturals.net
Affected product can be identified by comparing the following lot number: "Treat Me Crunchy Beef Delight" with "Lot # 20190514 13753".
No products other than the specific product identified above are subject to this voluntary recall. Consumers who have purchased Treat Me Crunchy Beef Delight are urged to return effected product to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions may call the company at 800-476-8808 for additional information.
Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Bella all Natural by calling (323)552-6263, or e-mail address: firstname.lastname@example.com on Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., PST. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.
Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.
This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administratio
Labetalol Hydrochloride Injection is packaged in a 20 mL Multiple Dose Fliptop Vial; packaged in 50 cartons per case. The affected lots include the following NDC, lot numbers, and expiry dates. For cartons, the NDC is located on the top and front label and Lot and Expiry Date information is located on the bottom. For individual vials, the NDC, Lot and Expiry Date information is located on the vial label.
Product was distributed nationwide to wholesalers / retailers / hospitals in the United States and Puerto Rico from April 2017 to August 2017.
|Lot Number
|Expiration Date
100 mg/20 mL
1-20 mL Multiple Dose Fliptop Vial per carton; 50 cartons per case
0409-2267-25 (Novaplus®)
100 mg/20 mL
1-20 mL Multiple Dose Fliptop Vial per carton; 50 cartons per case
Hospira, Inc. places the utmost emphasis on patient safety and product quality at every step in the manufacturing and supply chain process.
Hospira, Inc. has notified wholesalers/retailers/hospitals by recall letter to arrange for return of any recalled product.
Wholesalers/retailers/hospitals/institutions with an existing inventory of the lots subject to this recall should stop use and distribution of the remaining units and quarantine immediately. Healthcare Professionals in your organization should be informed of this recall. If you have further distributed the recalled product, to the wholesale or retail level, please notify any accounts or additional locations which may have received the recalled product from you. For additional assistance, call Stericycle at 1-800-805-3093 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
Retailers/ Healthcare Professionals with questions regarding this recall can contact Pfizer using the below information.
|Contact Information
|Areas of Support
|Pfizer Medical
|1- 800-615-0187 , option 3
(8am to 7pm ET Monday through Friday)
|Medical inquiries
|Pfizer Safety
|1-800-438-1985, option 1 (24 hours a day 7 days per week)
|To report adverse events or product complaints
Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.
This recall is being executed with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
USDA Office of Communications sent this bulletin at 02/22/2018 12:29 PM EST
You are subscribed to USDA Office of Communications.
Release No. 0041.18
USDA Seeks Ideas to Help SNAP Participants Become Independent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2018 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it is looking for innovative ideas to promote work and self-sufficiency among able-bodied adults participating in the department's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The public is invited to provide input through a notice in the Federal Register. Comments can be submitted on the web through the Federal Register tomorrow. USDA intends to use the input received to find improvements to SNAP policy and related services that can best assist SNAP participants return to self-sufficiency.
"Long-term dependency has never been part of the American dream," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. "USDA's goal is to move individuals and families from SNAP back to the workforce as the best long-term solution to poverty. Everyone who receives SNAP deserves an opportunity to become self-sufficient and build a productive, independent life."
Federal law limits the amount of time an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) can receive SNAP benefits to three months in a 36-month period, unless the individual is working and/or participating in a work program half-time or more, or participating in workfare. The law exempts individuals from the time limit for several reasons, including age, unfitness for work, or having a dependent child. The law also provides state agencies with flexibility to request a waiver of this time limit if unemployment is high or the area does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment.
"Too many states have asked to waive work requirements, abdicating their responsibility to move participants to self-sufficiency. Past decisions may have been the easy short-term choice, but USDA policies must change if they contribute to a long-term failure for many SNAP participants and their families," Perdue said.
The President's Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Proposal, released on Feb. 12, proposes to limit waivers of the time limit for ABAWDs to counties with 10 percent unemployment over 12 months.
"The SNAP safety net must be there for those unable to work due to disability or another legitimate reason," Perdue said. "But for the able-bodied, we must reduce barriers to work, and hold both individuals and states accountable for participants getting and keeping jobs."
Starting tomorrow, the public is invited to submit comments or ideas on helping able-bodied SNAP participants find work and become self-sufficient through federalregister.gov. The comment period will be open through April 9, 2018.
USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs. In addition to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, these programs include Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, the National School Lunch Program, and the Summer Food Service Program which together comprise America's nutrition safety net. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov.
|Lonnie Bunch, museum director, historian, lecturer, and author, is proud to present A Page from Our American Story, a regular on-line series for Museum supporters. It will showcase individuals and events in the African American experience, placing these stories in the context of a larger story — our American story.
A Page From Our American Story
Talent knows no color barrier, so much so that it has often provided African Americans a path to knocking down racial barriers. In the case of Sissieretta Jones, Lillian Evanti, Hazel Scott, and Lena Horne, their talent opened doors on stages around the world and paved the way for countless black entertainers to come.
Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, in January 1868, Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones began formally studying music at the Providence Music Academy in Rhode Island at the age of 14. She is believed to have completed her training some years later at Boston's renowned New England Conservatory of Music.
With her New York opera debut at Steinway Hall in 1888, Jones' talent was quickly recognized. She toured overseas and became known as the world's "first Negro prima donna." Her voice and striking presence led to comparisons with Italian soprano Adelina Patti — considered the premier diva of the day. Jones was nicknamed "Black Patti" — which she resented for obvious reasons — but as Miss Jones proved to all, a woman of color was capable of giving world class performances.
Though racism kept her from performing on America's most renowned stage, New York's Metropolitan Opera, she did perform at the White House, and gave a command performance before England's Royal Family. In June 1892, she became the first African American to take the stage at Carnegie Hall, and by 1895 she was the highest paid black entertainer in the world. By showing the world that a black woman could perform classical opera, Jones laid the ground work for future entertainers, including Lillian Evanti.
Lillian Evanti was born Lillian Evans on August 12, 1890 in Washington, D.C. She graduated with a music degree from Howard University in 1907. Thirteen years later she left America for Europe. There she became the first African American to sing with professional opera companies in Nice and Paris.
Evanti spoke (and sang in) five languages and critics praised her commanding coloratura soprano. In the 1930s, Evanti returned to Washington, D.C. to perform in the city's premier theater, the Belasco, one of the few major venues that permitted performances before integrated audiences. The Washington Post called her appearance a "home-coming triumph."
In 1932, the director of the Metropolitan Opera asked her to audition. The Opera's board of directors, however, refused to allow Evanti to join the company, a decision based solely on her race. That, however, did not prevent her from performing in front of tens of thousands at Madison Square Garden and other substantial venues. It would take 23 more years before an African American female, Marian Anderson, would actually perform at the Metropolitan Opera, thanks in no small part to the trail blazed by Lillian Evanti.
A gifted musician and performer, Hazel Scott is an American Jazz legend who used her talent to fight against racist stereotypes and attitudes.
Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad on June 11, 1920, Hazel Scott was a child prodigy. After moving to New York City, Scott was given a special exemption to enroll in the prestigious Juilliard School of Music when she was only 8 years old — half the normal enrollment age of 16. By the time she was in high school she was hosting a radio show on WOR and performing in the evening.
Before long, Scott was the premier entertainer at New York's Café Society, the city's first fully integrated club. An accomplished pianist, she also played trumpet, and saxophone — the latter in a stint with Louis Armstrong's All Girl Band. She spoke seven languages, appeared in a handful of movies, and married New York Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., a celebrity in his own right.
Scott didn't shy away from fighting for civil rights. Included in her performance contracts was a clause mandating that the venues be fully integrated. In addition, she was an outspoken critic of the stereotypical roles offered to black actresses.
In June 1950, Scott was wrongly linked to communist-leaning organizations by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). In September, Scott voluntarily appeared before the committee. Though she gave a rousing defense of her patriotism, and no ties to communist groups were found, the stain of the HUAC damaged her career. By the time she was able to make a comeback in the early 1960s, jazz' popularity had been eclipsed by rhythm and blues, and rock and roll. Jazz critics and aficionados consider her critically acclaimed 1955 album, Relaxed Piano Moods, one of the most important jazz recordings of the twentieth century.
Lena Horne's life was a remarkably powerful story of the triumph of the spirit. Born in Brooklyn, New York on June 30, 1917, she became a performer at the famous Cotton Club at 16. Stardom wasn't far behind. In 1943, her sultry, moody rendition of Stormy Weather, from the film of the same name, became her trademark. Horne would win multiple Grammy Awards for singing, and Tony Awards for her performances on Broadway. By 1945, her voice, her beauty, and her electric stage presence had made her the highest paid African American entertainer in the nation.
Throughout her life, Horne stood up for justice. During World War II, Horne refused to sing for segregated audiences of troops, nor would she perform when the troops were split with whites in front rows and blacks in back. On one occasion, disgusted that black GIs were forced to sit behind German POWs, Horne walked through the audience to where the black troops were seated and performed with her back to the German prisoners. It was emblematic of her life.
Horne was outspoken in her call for equal rights. Her friendships with Paul Robeson, along with W.E.B. Dubois, landed Horne on Hollywood's blacklist for a period of time — a list of celebrities and entertainers who were marked by HUAC for alleged communist ties. Still, her talent was far more powerful than rumors and innuendo, and she performed in night clubs and toured to sell out houses. She was recognized as a screen star and her demands — that she never be cast in the role of maid, for example — put Hollywood on notice that African American actresses would no longer endure the stereotypes they had played for decades. When Halle Berry became the first African American to win the Best Actress Academy Award in 2009, she noted that her victory was for those women who came before her, including Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne.
It is a tribute to the indefatigable spirits of these women that they are remembered not only for their tremendous gifts, but for their determination in the face of a society that pitted so much against them based solely on their color. African American actors, singers, and musicians today owe a debt of gratitude to this group of women for clearing a path toward equality.
P.S. We can only reach our $250 million goal with your help. I hope you will consider making a donation or becoming a Charter Member today.


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To the Editor:
There is an old legend that says there are two wolves in all of us. One is an evil wolf and one is a good wolf. The evil wolf is anger, sorrow, envy regret, arrogance and all the qualities that do not make us a person that others enjoy being with.
The good wolf is joy, peace, love, hope and the many qualities that endear us to others.
In our everyday lives there is a terrible fight going on within us between these two wolves and the one we feed will be the winner. Now there is no way that we can ever get rid of the first wolf and by beating ourselves up trying to only makes our situation worse.
We need both wolves in our lives to maneuver through the many traps and pitfalls that live puts in our path but we need to feed both wolves in order to defeat the internal struggle we face. Realistically in order to survive we need all of these traits but not in excess and not by trying to hide the one that causes us to become a hateful person.
Today it seems that the bad wolf has taken over many segments of society and no one is trying to place any filters on it. Those who hate and destroy will never realize that they are being pulled apart by a force that they have allowed to grow inside of them and sooner or later they will have nothing.
John Cervone
North Providence
I guess I'm ruled by the Bad wolf. Usually when people mistreat me or make me upset I guess I'm incapable of trying to see things from their point of view or consider their feelings. Usually I just lift a leg on 'em......
I think that we are inundated with many negative things daily from all angles. The problem is that the positive is rarely on the front page. It exists. People still strive to do good and help others but it isn't celebrated. I would say to John Cervone, yes, there are many bad wolves in our world but there are just as many good wolves willing to fight back. If you look, you will find them.
Wolves are wolves are don't put up with much BS from anyone. They take care of their families to the best of their abilities. When necessary they discipline the ones that get out of hand, even if expulsion from the pack or death.
Our society has been making excuses for what Mr. Cervone terms the Bad Wolf. It's time we stop, cut the BS and treat the Bad Wolves as required to save the pack a.k.a. our society.


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For a little over four months now, our nine-year happy relationship with Airtel has been under a lot of stress. We've been plagued by an awful internet connection that drops as frequently as it slows down. If one of us is using the internet to upload a video to Facebook or backup to Dropbox, the other has to wait around, because the connection becomes unusable, even to browse a static website.
Happy Women's Day?March 8, 2017 in Rants, Rules of Engagement, Storytelling
In an ideal world, women wouldn't need a day to celebrate them. We would be equals with our male counterparts in all areas. At home. At work. Everywhere.
At home we would be equals with our partners, treated with the same respect demanded of us; child rearing would be a shared responsibility as would cooking or housekeeping. Continue reading »
A Consumer's rant to Brands that spam.January 17, 2017 in Rants, Rules of Engagement
You do not have my permission to spam me with promotional email just because we met or traded business cards or information. Continue reading »


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Why is a trust better than a will?
While not every estate fares better with a trust than with a will, it is often the case that a revocable living trust is a much better way to transfer assets than a will. Here's why.
A will is a set of instructions that the Personal Representative (appointed by the Probate Court) uses to distribute assets to those named in the will to receive the estate (once all the bills have been paid, of course). The will is entered into probate; it's part of the public record. The Court requires that notice of the death and of the probate process be published. The Court also requires that an inventory fee be paid to the court based on the value of the estate's assets.
A trust, on the other hand, is a mechanism to transfer assets without going through the probate process. Unlike a will, a trust agreement is private. Publication of notice is not required (although there are situations when it's still a good idea). There are no inventory fees due to the Court. Most important, though, is that a trust agreement is much more flexible, allowing you to defer distributions to beneficiaries, as well as to place certain conditions on those distributions.


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Briarwood Mall recently welcomed a lively new retailer on the leading edge of entertainment: Dreamgate Virtual Reality, Michigan's first multiplayer, free-roaming wireless virtual reality arcade. Up to four players don headsets, step into a custom-built arena and encounter an alternate universe. If fending off zombies and battling killer robots is your idea of fun, then this experience is for you!
Dreamgate Virtual Reality
Briarwood Mall, 100 Briarwood Cir.
734-926-5226 | dreamgatevr.com


text: Cytisine is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, and as a pharmaceutical preparation it is available for the treatment of nicotinism. Cytisine derivative varenicline was approved in 2006 as a smoking cessation drug. A 2006 literature review concludes that while trials performed with cytisine itself are mostly of poor quality, there is some evidence that cytisine may be prescribed to aid in smoking cessation.


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In case you haven't already heard…we have a new product called FAB, which allows you to paint over upholstery fabric and it truly is FABulous!! This is the largest piece I've done, so far. You can view my previous piece, along with video tutorials here: https://www.shangrilalane.com/2015/08/video-tutorial-how-to-paint-over-upholstery-fabric.html Did I mention that FAB can be used with ANY water based paint?! I love that because it doesn't limit your options to just one type or one brand of paint. This French country settee was still in really good shape, but it was dated and had a few stains here & there.I wasn't sure if the stain would get covered, especially since I only used one coat of paint, but see for yourself…all gone!I used two jars of FAB and a quart of Faded Burlap (by DIY Paint) for the all over color. I then added stripes using Naval (by Heirloom Traditions) & Carnival Red (by DIY Paint). A helpful tip when adding stripes is to add another thin coat of your main color over the tape, before adding new colors…this will keep the bleeding under control & keep your lines nice and clean.After adding my French flag, I needed to apply a stencil that I purchased on Etsy specifically for this piece. You can find it here: https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1059468291I'll be honest, I was really nervous about applying the stencil over the textured fabric, but the hardest part was just getting it lined up straight…the rest was a piece of cake! It was probably the easiest stencil job I've ever done and it gave it that extra ooh la la I wanted.I kept the front of the sofa all business while the back is clearly where the party is happening 😉I'm planning to put this piece in my suite at the Frisco Mercantile and reluctantly sell her…only because I don't have space for it in my home and I'd like people to get a chance to see this sweet little settee in person. And if you'd like to create your own FABulous piece, you may pick up FAB in either of my shops (see About section) or order it online here: Heirloom Traditions Paint Bonne Nuit 🙂
Before and After Heirloom Traditions Painted Fabric Tutorials


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Known for his insightful lyrics and unique flow, US-based rapper Jonathan Burkett aka John Blake has been raising eyebrows on the local reggae scene with his latest single, 'One Life' featuring reggae singer Ambelique.
Working alongside producer Willie Lindo Burkett has delivered a single that blends the genres of reggae and hip hop, while staying immersed in his message of positivity.
The song was released November 1 on his own Upstormed Records label and is available for download on a number of platforms online.
Burkett is pleased with the feedback so far.
"The single is doing well in Jamaica, we have started to get some airplay on HITZ and IRIE. The song is a blend of hip hop and reggae music world issues, self-empowerment, human challenges and faith," he said.
He has carved out a decent reputation with his unique poetic rap flow on the underground hip hop circuit in south Florida.
"I grew up listening to reggae all my life. I grew up in Jamaica, in Westmoreland. When I was young, I always wanted to do a reggae song because it is focused on black consciousness, music that people can feel and relate to and be inspired by," he said.
Burkett has his own unique philosophy that guides his life. It speaks to compassion towards his fellow man and a boundless enthusiasm for music, life and the planet.
"I lived a rough life, but at the end of the day, through it all, you gotta get the best out of life and keep strong. No matter what you go through, don't let your days be miserable 24/7, because of a lack of money," he said.
He was born in Miami, but was raised in Jamaica until age 6 before heading back to Florida, but returned to visit every Summer.
Other recent releases include, Pass That, Crush on You and Make Money.
"I want to drop an album next year. I just need to get these singles out first and see what happens, " Jonathan Burkett said.


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We're thrilled to announce the newest addition to the North Star Media roster, Brittany Pfantz!
Brittany's voice and style have been compared to a mix between Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin. Her goal is to write music that makes people think and feel in a way that moves them to something greater. She is inspired by Bob Dylan, Lauryn Hill, and "really anyone else who has dared to be fully themselves in this industry." Brittany says her message will always be the same–– Go get that thing that makes your heart tick. Equal parts poet, prophet and performer… Brittany Pfantz is as real and sincere as it gets.
To learn more, you can visit her new artist page: https://www.northstarmedia.com/#/artist/MjA0Njk4LTQ4Mjc2OA/
Click here to add a comment. Comments can be viewed by everyone.


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Southeast Governmental Fleet Managers Association
October 8, 2017 - October 9, 2017
Make plans now to visit with Dossier Systems at the Southeast Governmental Fleet Managers Association Annual Meeting, 9 October, at Embassy Suites & North Charleston Convention Center. We look forward to meeting with prospective customers, industry guests, Alliance Partners, and existing Dossier Users.
Come see why Dossier is the leading maintenance management software solution for municipal and government fleets.
Monday, 9 Oct 11:00 am to 3:30 pm
If you would like to establish a preset appointment to visit with us at the show, please contact your Account Manager or send an e-mail request with your preferred times and contact information to email@example.com.
See you in North Charleston!


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Boys 8-20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Team Logo Lounge Pants, Size: S 8, Dark Blue
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* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with Kohl's to confirm actual price & availability.
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2430 Berryhill Road
Montgomery, AL 36117


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The Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild will hold a reception for its next show, "My Favorite Strokes," on Thursday, May 10, from 5-7 p.m. at the Rancho Santa Fe Art Gallery, located at 6004 Paseo Delicias in Rancho Santa Fe.
The work will remain on exhibit at the Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild Gallery through June.
The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:30 to 4:30 p.m. Visit
for information about membership and purchasing art work.


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"Fit to be the mistress?"
Will Yoon Eun-hye be able to vent her spite on screens. She will be returning to home screens after two years with SBS "Lie to Me" as Kong Ah-jeong. It's a "Midas" follow up. "Lie to Me" is a romantic comedy drama that deals with the events that happen after a single woman lies that she married someone famous to earn the position many unmarried people. She is a veteran in everything but an amateur in love and has holes as much as she is proud.
Why Yoon Eun-hye's U-turn to home screens is being taken interest upon is because, she doesn't quite shine in movies but when it comes to dramas she is a ticket to another hit. All her previous dramas like "Princess Hours", "The Man of the Vineyard", "Coffee Prince", "My Fair Lady" and more have all gone over 20% in ratings.
Meanwhile, her first movie in 5 years, "My Black Mini Dress" drew a number of 200 thousand viewers within 6 days of release on the 30th. This isn't up to expectations so far.
Source : news.nate.com/view/20...Copy & paste guideline for this article
"Yoon Eun-hye "Poor on the screens, I'll do better on home screens""
by HanCinema is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work from this source
You're reading the news with potential spoilers, make them spoiler free, dismiss
[Photo] Ku Hye-sun "I'm at the Seoul Motor Show"
2011/03/31 (Source)
Toyota model and actress Ku Hye-sun is introducing the new Toyota Corolla at the "2011 Seoul Motor,...More
"Blank" why Ryoo Seung-bum's unfriendliness is disappointing?
2011/03/31 (Source)
"I'm blank".. This is what actor Ryoo Seung-bum (31) said after the movie preview. Ryoo Seung-bu,...More
Wed.Thu first place MBC "Royal Family" tied up in rating
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STOMP it anytime, anywhere.
Download the new STOMP app today.
A man left his phone on the counter of a provision shop in Marsiling Road -- only for another customer to pocket it.
Stomper L, whose father owns the store, said he was the cashier there when the incident happened on May 27, at around 4pm.
A video contributed by L shows how the phone's owner had placed his mobile device on the shop counter and made his purchase.
The man also appeared to be distracted and was riffling through his bag.
He then forgot about his phone and left the shop without taking it with him.
Shortly afterwards, a second customer was seen about to leave the premises after paying for his items, when he turned back and took the first guy's phone from the counter.
L said: "I thought the phone belonged to the second guy, so I called out to him just as he was about to leave and asked if the phone was his.
"Instead of telling me it didn't belong to him, he took it and left."
According to L, the phone's owner returned to the store about an hour later and they realised what had happened.
Added the Stomper: "The phone's owner made a police report and officers came down to the shop the next day (May 28).
"I believe that sharing this video on Stomp will enable the culprit to return the phone."


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Generative Design
"Generative Design" by Armando Vilas-Boas
As a trend, it started being used in art projects by generating random algorithms for sounds or images for example. It moved into logo and design identity projects as a trend for non-static "boring" logos and creating a new language for traditional identity corporations. In this week you will explore and critically analyse examples of this process and the new identity.
Generative design is a big trend that promises to completely revolutionise the work of designers, engineers and architects. Nature explores all possible solutions that optimise performance in a given environment. Generative design mimics nature's approach to design – the way organisms evolve in the natural world – by starting with goals and then exploring all of the best possible permutations of a solution through successive generations until the best one is found. Many designers are experimenting with generative design to produce new forms and improve existing products. To see designs evolve, we have to stop thinking of computers as mere drawing tools and start thinking about them as portals to greater exploration.
The emerging technology uses algorithms to generate every possible permutation of a design solution. The designer simply enters a set of parameters and then chooses the best outcome generated by the software. Until now, designers were using a computer as a passive machine, that delivers a limited set of design options. In this new approach, computer and designer/engineer unite as co-creators. They input design goals and constraints, using a generative-design system like Project Dreamcatcher. They enter specifics such as material, type, weight, strength, and costs. The computer uses algorithms and its own reasoning to generate thousands of designs, running performance analysis for each. Then, they can produce prototypes, through milling or 3D printing.
The software can automatically make aircrafts lighter, buildings stronger and trainers more comfortable – with the designer acting as a "curator", rather than making all the decisions. Generative design is used in many areas nowadays. For instance, Airbus created a new cabin partition for its A320 plane; MX3D, a robotics company, uses generative design to create a bridge which 3D-printing robots will manufacture to span a canal in Amsterdam, or Under Armour sportswear company, with a 3D-printed lattice* structure midsole. How cool is that?
*Lattice structure or crystal structure is an arrangement of atoms or molecules in a crystalline solid or a liquid.
Armando Vilas-Boas – MA Design Course Leader
London School of Design and Marketing


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I'm interested in finding out how many people manage to make time for breakfast everyday! And if you do manage to, how do you fit it in?
If you don't have it everyday, how often do you manage to have it?
And what would be your ideal breakfast?
Posted by: Panmex
Posted on: 28th Jan 2014
Panmex says: i often don't have breakfast if i wake up late or if i'm not feeling like eating which i often don't in the morning. however if i need to do something (uni, work, seeing people all day) then i make an effort to eat i order to give me the energy i need. i would say i eat breakfast 3-4 times a week on average. my favourite breakfast is a bacon and egg sandwich but for health reasons i try to aim towards cereal, generall weet-bix


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Nip Hill, Lancaster, LA1 1WF
Tel: 01524 382447 or 077 4634 5505
Self-contained and fully modernised, our (top floor) flat in Lancaster's historic Castle district is cosy, quirky and comfortable. You can enjoy sitting at your window looking out on charming buildings and cobbled streets, with all the modern comforts you would want from a home-from-home.
The flat provides spacious accomodation for 2-3 (main bedroom with double bed, small second bedroom can sleep a third person on a comfortable sofa bed) There is a separate, fully equipped kitchen with a table for two to have breakfast, while the lounge has ample seating and dining space for up to four.
Excellent restaurants, markets & bars abound. Lancaster also boasts a vibrant music and theatre scene. No car? No problem. We are a 5 minute walk from the railway and bus stations.


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Dayton, Ohio — The first Senate candidate Senator Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) endorsed this year was Ohio's state treasurer, Josh Mandel. On the day of his endorsement, Rubio explained to Fox News why he favored Mandel over his Democratic colleague, Senator Sherrod Brown. "We need . . . to tackle some of these issues like saving Medicare and Social Security," he said. "We will not do that with the current bunch that is in charge right now. We will need to make some changes."
A Senator Mandel would be quite the change. The 34-year-old, fresh-faced Republican is 25 years younger than the 59-year-old incumbent, who — as Mandel likes to remind voters — first ran for Ohio state representative in 1974, when Richard Nixon was president. The conservative Mandel also makes for a strong ideological contrast to Brown, whom National Journal ranked the fifth-most-liberal member of the Senate.
Mandel, profiled in these pages by John J. Miller ("Buckeye for Promotion," December 19, 2011), is a rising star in the GOP. Raised in Beachwood, a suburb of Cleveland, he played quarterback for his high-school football team. He majored in communications at Ohio State University, where he served two terms as student-government president and enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve. He went on to receive a law degree from Case Western Reserve University.
During his eight years in the Reserve, Mandel served two tours in Iraq as an intelligence specialist. The experience gave him "a heightened sense of personal responsibility," he tells National Review. For his appreciation of freedom, he credits his grandparents, one of whom was imprisoned in Auschwitz while another served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Mandel also credits his law professor Arthur Austin, who "under the umbrella of teaching contracts, really advocated for the free-enterprise system" — and found a receptive pupil.
Mandel's legislative career bears the marks of these influences. In 2003, he won a seat on the city council of Lyndhurst, Ohio, where he engineered the first property-tax cut in local history. In 2006, he won a seat in Ohio's state legislature and caused a stir when he proposed a bill to divest the state's pension funds from companies that did business with Iran. After winning reelection in 2008, he successfully ran for state treasurer in 2010. In that office, he cut over $1.2 million from the state budget. He is pro-life and pro–traditional marriage.
In the fickle suburbs of Cleveland and Cincinnati, however, ideological consistency counts for little. Instead, Mandel is emphasizing the economy — and his opponent's fumbling attempts to revive it. From 2001 to 2011, the Buckeye State lost 345,600 jobs in manufacturing, pushing its unemployment rate to 10.6 percent in August 2009. In February, it stood at 7.6 percent, while Brown's focus in Washington remained on liberal proposals, such as Obamacare and EPA greenhouse-gas regulations, that would do little if anything to create jobs.
Mandel thinks jobs are the key issue, and that's evident in his campaign schedule. On this Monday morning, he takes a tour of Staub Manufacturing Solutions, a metal-fabrication shop in Dayton. In a gray warehouse populated by blue-polo-clad workers, owner Steve Staub shows Mandel his equipment — big machines with names such as the "Trumatic L 3060." Under the dangling lights and stencil-letter signs, Mandel listens, with sympathetic nods of the head, as Staub recounts the obstacles his company has overcome. Manufacturing comes with large start-up costs; consider that the Trumatic L 3060 costs $850,000.
"It's not an easy business anybody can jump into," Staub says. In 2007, he had 34 employees, but in 2009, the recession shaved his work force to ten. Today, he employs 20 people, but he doesn't consider the federal government's policies responsible for his recovery. The feds need to "help us," Staub argues, "not continually add regulations that are going to strangle us." For instance, were he to have four 55-gallon drums of Windex on his grounds, he would be out of compliance with environmental regulations, according to which the cleaner is a toxic chemical.
In his first bid for the state legislature, Mandel earned a reputation for his sneaker-punishing work ethic. He knocked on 19,000 doors, raised $400,000, and won in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by two to one. Even at this early-morning campaign stop, Mandel operates at full speed: shaking everybody's hand, chatting briefly with a reporter from the Dayton Daily News and a camera crew from the local station WHIO-TV, and receiving an endorsement from the tea-party group FreedomWorks, all before jumping in his Jeep for the next event.
#page#In front of a group of Staub's associates who have assembled in the warehouse, Mandel gives his stump speech. With his hair closely cropped and his red tie taut, he looks fresh out of Sunday school. "I'm 34 years old for those of you wondering," he says, to laughs. His voice brims with energy. He promises to eliminate the regulations that are hurting small businesses and preventing the extraction of natural gas from the Utica and Marcellus shale formations. "We trust families and small businesses more than faceless bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.," he concludes, provoking applause.
Mandel will face a tough fight and a ruthless opponent in Brown. The Democrat's campaign is trying to portray Mandel as a young man in too much of a hurry. Brown's aides have dug up video of Mandel saying he would like to serve four years as treasurer and labeled it a broken promise. They've complained that Mandel has attended almost none of the Board of Deposit meetings, which the treasurer is supposed to chair. (The other two members of the board, the attorney general and the state auditor, usually don't attend either; like Mandel, they send representatives.) They also have made hay of an unremarkable finding by the Dayton Daily News that Mandel hired inexperienced campaign staffers for key posts. (The problem for Mandel is he criticized his predecessor for a similar practice.)
On a car ride to West Chester, Mandel responds to these charges with a fusillade of points: "We're running one of the most effective and efficient treasurer's offices in America. While Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit rating for the United States . . . we earned the highest rating we could earn — a AAA rating — for the $4 billion investment fund I manage. . . . We'll take that and stack it up against Washington and Sherrod Brown any day of the week."
Mandel can be brash, but he is also cautious. When asked what he thinks of Congressman Paul Ryan's proposed budgets, Mandel responds, "I don't have a position on any of the Ryan plans." He promises to unveil his own proposals before Election Day. In interviews, he dodges questions about Brown's proposal to levy tariffs on tires made in China, usually noting simply, "I believe in free markets."
He's completely frank, however, in his condemnations of the president's foreign policy. "I can't stand President Obama's blame-America-first approach," he says. "I wish he was as publicly angry about the U.S. servicemen who were killed in the wake of the Koran burnings [as] he was about the Afghanis that were killed in that unfortunate incident by the staff sergeant."
He opposes the president's timeline for withdrawal from Afghanistan: "We can't stay there forever, but it needs to be on the timetables set by our military commanders, and they shouldn't be public." And he's crystal clear on his views regarding that country's eastern neighbor: "We should cut foreign aid to Pakistan. I don't think American tax dollars should be sent to a country whose military academy is five minutes from where Osama bin Laden was living for many years."
Mandel's campaign believes he will win because of his biography and his grunt work. He's raised $5.8 million so far, with $4.3 million in cash on hand — not too far behind Brown, who has raised $6.5 million, with $5.2 million in cash on hand. The campaign also contends that Mandel has crossover appeal. He cut his political teeth in Democrat-heavy Cuyahoga County, where he was the only statewide Republican executive candidate to win more than 40 percent of the vote in 2010. Hold your losses there under 100,000 votes, Republican Buckeyes believe, and success is assured.
There's reason to believe them. In a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports, Mandel tied Brown with 43 percent of the vote. Other polls have shown Brown leading, but much of that gap is attributable to Mandel's still-low name recognition across the state.
"In order to change Washington, we need to change the people we send there," Mandel says in a summation of his campaign. And though he sounds similar to other Republicans, he sounds very different from the incumbent: He's young, plucky, and conservative. It was enough to win him a vote of confidence from Florida's junior senator. Come November, we'll see whether it's enough to win him the Buckeye State's.


text:
Ted Rabinowitz' Blog for All Things Nerdy, including "The Wrong Sword," "Conjure Man," and "Hero's Army."
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Merry Lughnasadh, Everyone!
Today (I've discovered) is the Gaelic holiday of Lughnasadh, originally celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, and marking the start of the harvest season or "first fruits." (In case you were wondering, the other three seasonal holidays are Samhain, Beltane, and Imbolc.) And judging by my Meetup.com list of things in New York today, there are at least 12 witches, Wiccans, or Neo-pagans in Manhattan who are celebrating. To them I say enjoy the bilberries, and have a bracing climb up the mountain.
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text:
A rabit 5ft tall was made of neon lighting
Substances: Mushrooms
Well, it all started on the way home from college when my new found friend
Adam asked if I had ever tried magic mushrooms b4, I said 'no dont know
enything about them' he then handed me a bag of mushrooms dried. I didnt
think much of it and planed on selling them the next day. When I got home
I was makeing a sandwich, when looking for ingediants i ponderd over the
thought of useing the shrooms, so i just added them and thought it wont
do that much, probebly just make me feel a bit stoned or something, an
hour later I was on the phone 2 my girfriend when the handset started
melting, I started 2 panic and hanged up, ran in2 my room and started
2 listen 2 music, this was my first mistake coz I chose 2 listen 2 Insane
Clown Posse a violent hip hop band with freakey carnival music, instantly
my hole room burst in2 colour and i was there siting in the middle of
a carnival with massive carni rides all around me and little toy plastic
soldiers running around on the floor, I decided 2 leave the carnival so
i asked a massive neon squid where 2 go 2 get out of this place, then
I was back in my room siting on my bed, next 2 me was a rabit, he was
tall about 5ft and was made of neon lighting, GOODAY he said 'hello' i
replyed, what are u doing in my room? looking at your art, oh thats cool
I said then we started a deep conversation about art and art history.
Next day then, I spoke 2 my friend about the night, he said 'how meny
do u have left? none i said i took them all, aparently there was enough
for 3-4 trips, oops.
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